India unlikely to abandon Russian oil despite threat of US tariffs of up to 100% — OilPrice
India is unlikely to be able to quickly replace the entire volume of Russian oil and will probably not stop purchasing it despite the possibility that the United States could impose tariffs of up to 100% on Indian goods. This was reported by OilPrice, citing analysts' assessments.
According to the publication, India is the second-largest importer of Russian crude oil after China. In recent months, supplies from Russia, the aggressor state, accounted for nearly half of all of India's crude oil purchases.
Possible US tariffs
In early September, US President Donald Trump signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026. The document expands sanctions, tariffs and bans against Russia, and also extends the existing sanctions against Iran.
The law grants the US president the authority to potentially impose trade tariffs of up to 100% on countries that import Russian oil and natural gas in large volumes. As one of the largest buyers of Russian raw materials, India may face such tariffs on goods exported to the United States.
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The Indian side stated that it had discussed the matter at a high level with several US officials. New Delhi expressed concern about the potential impact of the tariffs on both bilateral relations and the international energy market.
Risks for prices and supplies
According to Prerna Gandhi, an associate fellow at the Indian think tank Vivekananda International Foundation, rapidly replacing Russian oil would increase India's import costs and could accelerate domestic inflation. She linked this to supply and shipping disruptions in the Middle East, as well as Brent prices above $100 per barrel.
Gandhi also suggested that the United States may not be interested in removing millions of barrels of Russian oil per day from the market at a time of rising oil quotations, US gasoline prices and record diesel fuel prices. According to her, India may negotiate exceptions or exemptions from the new US law.
