US President Donald Trump singled out India’s Russian oil purchases, announcing an additional 25% tariff on goods from the South Asian country. As a result, India will now be facing a tariff threat of up to 50%.
Given Russia’s incessant onslaught on Ukraine, the POTUS has doubled down on his efforts to pull out a ceasefire declaration from President Vladimir Putin’s side by seeking countries to halt their purchases of Russian oil. These attempts are focussed on stopping international buyers from funding the Krelim’s war via the trade nexus. Consequently, India is not the only country that may be impacted in the long run.
Top countries buying Russian oil: See list
In addition to India, China and Turkey are two other big buyers of Russian oil, prompted by the cheaper oil attraction. Since the European Union’s decision to boycott most Russian seaborne oil from January 2023, China has emerged as the top-most buyer of Russian energy, with India in at No 2 and Turkey at 3, according to The Associated Press.
As of July 30, 2025, (January 1, 2023, onwards) China stands at the top of the table with Russian fossil fuel imports worth of $219.5 billion. Of these numbers, $158.7 billion amounts to Russian oil purchase, with $31.5 billion allocated for gas and the remaining $29.3 billion for coal.
According to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), here’s a look at other top importers of Russian fuel:
| Country | Billions worth of Russian fuel purchases (Oil + Coal + Gas) |
| 1. China | $219.5 billion ($158.7 billion worth of Russian oil + coal – $31.5 billion + gas – $29.3 billion) |
| 2. India | $133.4 billion ($119.3 billion worth of oil + coal – $13.8 billion + gas – $253.6 million) |
| 3. Turkey | $90.3 billion ($62.1 billion worth of oil + coal – $8.1 billion + gas – $20.1 billion) |
| 4. EU | $70.4 billion ($23.2 billion worth of oil + gas – $47.2 billion) |
| 5. Brazil | $20 billion (oil – $19.6 billion + coal – $363 million + gas – $37 million) |
| 6. Singapore | $13.4 billion (oil – $13.3 billion + $16.2 million + gas – $39.3 million) |
| 7. Hungary | $13.4 billion (oil – $6.1 billion + gas – $7.2 billion) |
| 8. South Korea | $12.8 billion (oil – $3.3 billion + coal – $7.1 billion + gas – $2.3 billion) |
| 9. Saudi Arabia | $11 billion (all devoted to oil purchase) |
| 10. Slovakia | $10.2 billion (oil – $5.9 billion + gas – $4.4 billion) |
Trump’s punitive tariffs on Russian oil-buying countries
The US president-imposed punitive tariff rates on these countries were not solely determined on the basis of their Russian purchases. In India’s case, the country was also in hot water in Trump’s eyes due to its inclusion in the BRICS bloc, which seeks to destabilise the US dollar dominance.
Similarly, Brazil also faces the hefty 50% tariff due to the alleged “witch hunt” of former President Jair Bolsonaro and sitting-President Luiz Inacio Lula de Silva’s attack on US tech firms.
Check the list below:
| Country | Current Trump tariff threat (%) |
| 1. China | 30% |
| 2. India | 50% |
| 3. Turkey | 15% |
| 4. EU | 15% |
| 5. Brazil | 50% |
| 6. Singapore | 10% |
| 7. Hungary | 15% |
| 8. South Korea | 15% |
| 9. Saudi Arabia | 10% |
| 10. Slovakia | 15% |
Trump’s new tariffs on imports go into effect today, August 7. Currently, Brazil is facing the highest US tariffs in the world. Meanwhile, India, facing the same 50% threat, will be hit with the additional 25% rate (on top of the previous 25%) from August 27 onwards.