Indian-American Republican leader Nikki Haley criticised President Donald Trump for threatening to increase tariffs on Russian oil imports from India, warning that such a move could damage ties with a key American ally while giving China leniency.In a post on X on Tuesday, Haley took aim at what she sees as an uneven approach from the Trump administration. “India should not be buying oil from Russia. But China, an adversary and the number one buyer of Russian and Iranian oil, got a 90-day tariff pause,” she wrote.
“Don’t give China a pass and burn a relationship with a strong ally like India,” she added.Her remarks came after Trump, in a press briefing Tuesday, threatened to “very substantially” increase tariffs on Indian goods, following the 25% duty imposed just last week. He also rejected India’s reported offer of zero tariffs on American goods, saying, “That’s not good enough, because of what they’re doing with oil.”The White House has pointed to the growing US trade deficit with India as justification for the move, accusing New Delhi of maintaining high tariffs on American goods and limiting market access. India’s continued imports of Russian crude and military hardware have also drawn scrutiny.India is now the largest seaborne buyer of Russian crude oil, importing nearly 1.75 million barrels per day in the first half of 2025, up 1% from the same period last year. While US initially welcomed India’s role in helping stabilise global oil supplies, Trump now claims those purchases are helping finance President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.India, however, has remained firm in its stance. India’s ministry of commerce and industry responded to Trump’s announcement by reaffirming that national interest remains the country’s top priority.“The Government attaches the utmost importance to protecting and promoting the welfare of our farmers, entrepreneurs, and MSMEs. The Government will take all steps necessary to secure our national interest, as has been the case with other trade agreements including the latest Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement with the UK,” the ministry said in a statement.New Delhi has also made it clear that its agriculture and dairy sectors remain off the table in any trade negotiations — a position it has consistently maintained in all prior trade agreements.
