US targeting India’s oil trade

“The United States has in recent days targeted India’s oil imports from Russia.”

India reiterates sovereign energy security

“We have already made clear our position on these issues, including the fact that our imports are based on market factors and done with the overall objective of ensuring the energy security of 1.4 billion people of India.”

“It is therefore extremely unfortunate that the US should choose to impose additional tariffs on India for actions that several other countries are also taking in their own national interest.”

Rejection of the tariffs

“We reiterate that these actions are unfair, unjustified and unreasonable.”

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‘Unfair, unjustified and unreasonable’: India’s 5 point response to Trump’s tariff

The statement came after Trump signed an executive order penalising India for continuing oil trade with Russia. The MEA criticised the move as “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable.”

Trump imposed secondary sanctions on India for continuing oil trade with Russia by slapping New Delhi with 25% additional tariff. (Photo: X/ @PMOIndia)

India Wednesday responded to US President Donald Trump’s decision to ratchet up tariff on India to 50%, with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) declaring that New Delhi will take “all actions necessary to protect its national interests.”

The statement came after Trump signed an executive order penalising India for continuing oil trade with Russia by slapping New Delhi with 25% additional tariff. The MEA criticised the move as “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable.”

Here’s a breakdown of the MEA’s five-point response:

01
US targeting India’s oil trade
“The United States has in recent days targeted India’s oil imports from Russia.”
02
India reiterates sovereign energy security
“We have already made clear our position on these issues, including the fact that our imports are based on market factors and done with the overall objective of ensuring the energy security of 1.4 billion people of India.”
03
Selective targeting
“It is therefore extremely unfortunate that the US should choose to impose additional tariffs on India for actions that several other countries are also taking in their own national interest.”
04
Rejection of the tariffs
“We reiterate that these actions are unfair, unjustified and unreasonable.”
05
Firm Warning
“India will take all actions necessary to protect its national interests.”

Last week, Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social that a tariff of 25 per cent plus an additional unspecified tariff “penalty” would be imposed on India for New Delhi’s defence and energy imports from Moscow. Then earlier this week, Trump announced that he will impose additional tariffs on India for profiting from Russian oil.

On Monday, Jaiswal had said that while it has been targeted by the US and the European Union for importing oil from Russia, these imports began as its traditional supplies were diverted to Europe, and the US at that time “actively encouraged such imports by India for strengthening global energy markets stability”.