Centre Demands Oil Import Data from Refineries as Trump Threatens to Raise Tariffs

The Centre has sought weekly disclosures of Russian and US oil purchases from refiners, Reuters reported, citing sources. Industry experts suggest that Russian crude imports have likely fallen below 1 million barrels per day as New Delhi is negotiating a trade deal with Washington.

India is one of the biggest buyers of Russian crude after China and was the largest buyer of discounted Russian seaborne crude following the Russia–Ukraine war in 2022. However, these purchases have come under scrutiny from the US and other Western allies, which allege that such buying has boosted Russia’s oil revenues and fuelled the war.

In August, the US imposed a 25% punitive tariff on India, in addition to the 25% reciprocal tariffs, taking the total levy to a sweeping 50%—one of the highest duties faced by an Asian economy.

The oil ministry’s Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC) has asked refiners to provide weekly information on their imports from Russia and the US. According to the report, the information was sought by the Prime Minister’s Office, people with knowledge of the matter said.

“We want timely and accurate data on Russian and US oil imports so that, when the US asks for information, we can provide verified figures instead of them relying on secondary sources,” the report quoted a government official as saying. This is the first time the government has sought a weekly database, and it is not expected to be made public.

The move coincides with by US President Donald Trump threatening to raise the tariffs if New Delhi fails to cooperate on "Russian oil issue", Moneycontrol reported. “We could raise tariffs on India if they don't help on Russian oil issue,” Trump was quoted as saying.

Oil Economics at the Heart of India–US Trade Deal

Several major economies, including Japan and South Korea, have struck trade deals with Washington to limit the impact of reciprocal tariffs. India’s negotiations, however, are still ongoing, and ambiguity remains over the final outcome.

While Western pressure has mounted on India to curb its Russian oil purchases, New Delhi has strongly resisted such scrutiny, arguing that Russian imports are critical to its energy security and that yielding to pressure would undermine national interest.

Although there has been no complete halt to oil imports from Moscow, refiners have reduced purchases, with industry experts expecting imports to average below 1 million barrels per day in the coming months. Oil imports from Russia have declined sharply since September and fell to a three-year low of 1.2 million bpd in December—a 40% drop from a peak of 2 million bpd in June. Russia supplied 35% of India’s crude oil in 2025, while the US accounted for 6.6%.