Have Trump’s tariff tantrums really curbed India’s Russian oil imports? What data reveals

India’s imports of Russian oil held firm in early September, data shows, suggesting that US President Donald Trump’s public criticism and fresh tariffs on Indian goods have yet to alter New Delhi’s crude buying patterns.

India imported about 1.73 million barrels per day (bpd) of Russian crude during September 1-16, reported The Indian Express, citing vessel-tracking data from global real-time analytics provider Kpler. That was higher than the 1.66 million bpd imported in August and 1.59 million bpd in July, when Trump began targeting New Delhi over its reliance on Moscow’s oil.

Crude loadings at Russian ports between September 1 and 16 stood at 1.22 million bpd, though industry sources said actual volumes could reach 1.6 million bpd, as several tankers currently marked for Egypt’s Port Said often redirect to India after transiting the Suez Canal, according to the report.

Typically, contracts for Russian crude supplied to India are finalised six to eight weeks before delivery, which means that the volumes imported in the first half of September correspond largely to contracts from July, the report said.

The coming weeks will reveal whether India adjusted its purchases in response to US tariffs.

In early August, Washington imposed a secondary 25% tariff on Indian goods, doubling existing “reciprocal” duties, calling it a penalty for purchases of Russian crude. Trump officials went into overdrive to attack India in their interviews and other public forums over its continued purchase of Russian oil.

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro referred to Moscow’s invasion as “Modi’s war,” arguing that India’s discounted oil purchases were funding President Vladimir Putin’s military campaign.

Pressed on whether he meant to say “Putin’s war,” Navarro doubled down: “I mean Modi’s war, because the road to peace runs, in part, through New Delhi.”

He also accused India of turning itself into a “laundromat for the Kremlin” by ramping up purchases of Russian crude.

“They don’t need the oil. It’s a refining profiteering scheme. It’s a laundromat for the Kremlin,” Navarro told reporters.

“India doesn’t appear to want to recognise its role in the bloodshed. It’s cosying up to Xi Jinping… What you’re doing right now is not creating peace. It’s perpetuating the war.”

New Delhi dismissed Washington’s measures as “unjustified and unreasonable,” noting that it began buying large volumes of Russian crude after its traditional suppliers diverted shipments to Europe. The Biden administration had initially encouraged India’s Russian oil purchases in 2022 to stabilise global markets after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

India, the world’s third-largest oil consumer, relies on imports for about 88% of its needs.

Discounted Russian oil has helped it save billions of dollars in foreign exchange since 2022. Russia now accounts for more than a third of India’s crude imports, up from less than 2% before the war in Ukraine.

While imports in July and August were lower than in earlier months, many see the dip as a result of narrowing discounts rather than US pressure.

Trump, meanwhile, has softened his rhetoric against India, signalling a more conciliatory tone on trade.

On Tuesday, Trump said he had a “wonderful” phone call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during which he extended birthday greetings and thanked him for supporting US efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

“Just had a wonderful phone call with my friend, Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I wished him a very Happy Birthday! He is doing a tremendous job. Narendra: Thank you for your support on ending the War between Russia and Ukraine!” Trump posted on Truth Social, signing off with his initials “DJT”.