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India Moves to Secure Alternative Oil Sources as Trump Threatens Tariffs on Russian Oil
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![Vlad Litnarovych]( "Vlad Litnarovych")
Just as Indian oil refiners were beginning to stabilize supply chains after sanctions hit Russia’s shadow fleet, a new risk has emerged as Donald Trump has threatened secondary tariffs on buyers of Russian oil if Moscow does not agree to a peace deal to end its war in Ukraine, Bloomberg reported on April 1.
State-run refiners Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum have already begun securing additional crude oil supplies for May from the Middle East, the North Sea, and the Mediterranean, according to traders cited by Bloomberg.
This week’s tenders go beyond their usual purchasing cycles, signaling concerns about whether India will receive all the barrels it previously ordered from Russian suppliers for March and April deliveries.
Trump, who has previously spoken favorably about Vladimir Putin’s willingness to end the war in Ukraine, took a sharply different tone on March 30.
“I’m very angry at him,” Trump said. “If we can’t make a deal with Russia to stop the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I think it’s Russia’s fault, I will impose secondary tariffs on all Russian oil.”
Last week, Trump introduced a similar measure against Venezuelan oil—a move experts have criticized as an untested and legally dubious tactic.
In Russia’s case, Trump specified that the tariffs could range between 25% and 50%. He also warned that companies continuing to buy Russian oil would be barred from doing business in the US.
Following his remarks, Trump claimed to have given Russia a “psychological deadline” to agree to peace with Ukraine. “If I decide they’re dragging it out, I won’t be happy about it,” he said.
However, the next day, Trump softened his stance, stating: “I want to make sure Putin follows through, and I think he will. I don’t want to impose secondary tariffs on his oil, but, you know, I’d do something if I thought he wasn’t making progress.”
Economists and energy analysts remain skeptical about Trump’s proposed “secondary tariffs” since they differ from the secondary sanctions the US already applies to third-party countries.
Earlier, an oil tanker carrying crude from a recently sanctioned Russian producer was idling off India’s west coast for two days, sparking questions over whether Indian authorities will permit the delivery.
The Cordelia Moon was scheduled to offload its cargo at Vadinar port on February 9 after loading approximately 1 million barrels of Urals crude from Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk between January 10 and 12, according to shipping data.
