A senior US lawmaker has publicly criticised former US President Donald Trump over his tariff stance toward India, accusing him of unfairly targeting a key American ally.
Democratic Congressman Brad Sherman from California took to social media platform X to argue that the tariff measures were unjustified. He claimed Trump was “grasping for excuses” to impose what he described as “outrageous tariffs” on India and urged him to reverse the decision immediately.
Sherman questioned the rationale behind linking tariffs to India’s crude oil imports from Russia. He pointed out that Hungary imports approximately 90% of its crude oil from Russia without facing similar tariffs. He also noted that China — Russia’s largest oil buyer — has not been sanctioned specifically for purchasing Russian oil, though it has faced other trade measures.
“India gets just 21% of its crude from Russia, yet our ally is being singled out,” Sherman stated, calling for an immediate policy correction.
India-US Interim Trade Framework
Sherman’s remarks come shortly after India and the United States announced an interim trade framework aimed at easing tensions. The joint statement revealed that reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods and services were reduced from 25% to 18%. The development coincided with Trump signing an executive order that removed an additional 25% punitive tariff previously imposed on India over its Russian oil purchases.
Prior to the announcement, Trump and his administration had suggested that India had committed to reducing its reliance on Russian oil — a claim that has not been officially confirmed by New Delhi.
India Reasserts Strategic Autonomy
India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar recently addressed similar concerns at the Munich Security Conference. When asked whether India had been pressured to scale back Russian oil imports, Jaishankar firmly stated that India remains “wedded to strategic autonomy.”
Speaking on global energy dynamics, he emphasised that oil procurement decisions are based on availability, cost, and risk assessments. “Oil companies look at availability, costs and risks, and take decisions in their best interest,” he said, without directly addressing Trump’s assertions.
However, Jaishankar acknowledged that global circumstances are evolving and stressed the importance of recalibrating diplomatic relationships to find common ground.
Russian Imports See Sharp Decline
Amid the debate, trade data from January 2026 indicated a significant 40.48% drop in India’s merchandise imports from Russia. Imports fell to $2.86 billion compared to $4.81 billion in January 2025.
Crude oil — typically accounting for nearly 80% of India’s imports from Russia — was reportedly the most affected, with January 2026 crude imports estimated at around $2.3 billion or lower. While broader trade figures have been released, detailed product-wise and country-specific data are still awaited from official sources.
The evolving trade and energy negotiations underscore the complex balancing act between economic interests, geopolitical realities, and long-standing diplomatic ties between India and the United States.
Originally published on 24×7-news.com.
