Washington: US President Donald Trump’s trade adviser Peter Navarro has launched a sharp attack on India for continuing its energy trade with Russia, calling New Delhi the “Maharaja of tariffs” and accusing it of running a “profiteering scheme.”
Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Navarro said he expects the punitive 50% tariffs on Indian imports—including an additional 25% levy tied to Russian oil purchases—to take effect on August 27.
“Prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, India bought virtually no Russian oil. Now, 35% of their needs are met by Russia. They don’t need the oil. It’s a refining profit-sharing scheme, a laundromat for the Kremlin,” Navarro alleged. He argued that Indian refiners were buying discounted crude and exporting premium products to Europe, Africa, and Asia, calling it “pure profiteering.”
Navarro warned that the trade deficit and India’s import of Russian crude were hurting American workers, claiming: “The money they get from us is used to buy Russian oil, which then funds arms that kill Ukrainians. US taxpayers end up footing the bill for more aid to Kyiv. That’s insane.”
India has pushed back strongly against the criticism. During his Moscow visit, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said New Delhi was “perplexed” by Washington’s stance, pointing out that the US itself had encouraged India to stabilize global energy markets, including through Russian oil purchases.
“We are a country where, actually, the Americans said for the last few years that we should do everything to stabilise the world energy markets, including buying oil from Russia,” Jaishankar noted.
India’s reliance on Russian crude has surged dramatically since sanctions were imposed on Moscow in 2022. From a mere 1.7% share of total imports in 2019-20, Russia now accounts for 35.1% of India’s oil imports in 2024-25, making it New Delhi’s top supplier. Moscow-based Kasatkin Consulting estimates that India now takes 37% of Russia’s total oil exports.
Navarro also accused India of “cosying up” to Chinese President Xi Jinping, pointing to New Delhi’s recent outreach to Beijing. His remarks came as India and China agreed to work toward resolving their long-standing border dispute after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Delhi.
Beijing, in turn, sought to show solidarity with India against Washington’s tariff moves. “China firmly stands with India to uphold the multilateral trading system and safeguard international fairness and justice,” Chinese envoy Xu Feihong posted on X.
Trump’s decision to double tariffs on Indian goods to 50% has pushed New Delhi–Washington ties to a new low. While India faces penalties for its Russian oil imports, the US has not imposed similar measures on China—the world’s largest buyer of Russian crude.
India has called the new tariffs “unjustified and unreasonable,” vowing to safeguard its economic security and national interests.
