Don’t know anything about it: Trump on US imports of Russian chemicals, fertilisers

He also said that he would soon decide on tariffs to be imposed on countries buying Russian energy.

The Indian Express reported on Wednesday that US imports from Russia are quietly rising — growing 23 per cent year-on-year to $2.1 billion between January and May this year. The surge was led by a sharp increase in the import of palladium (37%), uranium (28%) and fertilisers (21%).

Earlier on Tuesday, Trump threatened to raise the tariff on India “very substantially over the next 24 hours” for buying Russian oil. Earlier this week, he said that India was not only buying “massive amounts of Russian oil” but also selling it “on the open market for big profits”. He also accused India of “fuelling the Russian war machine”.

New Delhi had hit back, saying the targeting of India was “unjustified and unreasonable”, and the country would take “all necessary measures” to safeguard its “national interests and economic security”. This was the sharpest statement since Trump announced a 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods from August 7, along with an unspecified penalty for its defence and energy imports from Russia.

Pointing out “the double standards”, India had said that both the US and the EU are continuing their trade relations with Russia. “Where the US is concerned, it continues to import from Russia uranium hexafluoride for its nuclear industry, palladium for its EV industry, fertilisers as well as chemicals,” the Ministry of External Affairs had said in a statement.

Meanwhile, at the press conference on Tuesday, Trump also reiterated his claim that he brought the ceasefire between India and Pakistan in May. India has maintained that the understanding on cessation of hostilities with Pakistan was reached following direct talks between the DGMOs (Director General of Military Operations) of the two sides.