Reliance Industries halts Russian crude imports as India seeks U.S. trade deal
Reliance Industries, India's largest buyer of Russian crude oil, announced on January 6, 2025, that it expects no Russian crude deliveries in January following U.S. President Donald Trump's warning of increased tariffs on Indian goods. The decision reflects India's effort to secure a favorable trade deal with the United States and marks a significant shift in India-Russia energy relations, with Russian crude imports expected to fall below 1 million barrels per day.
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Reliance Industries Limited , the world's largest refining complex operator and India's biggest buyer of Russian crude oil, announced on January 6, 2025, that it is not expecting any Russian crude oil deliveries in January. The company's Jamnagar refinery has not received any cargo of Russian oil in the past three weeks, marking a dramatic shift in the energy relationship between India 
INand Russia 
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INand Russia RU.The announcement comes directly after U.S. President Donald Trump donald trumpwarned on January 5, 2025, that the United States 
UScould further raise import tariffs on Indiaover its Russian oil purchases. This warning builds on existing trade pressure, as the U.S. doubled import tariffs on Indian goods to 50 percent last year as punishment for heavy purchasing of Russian oil. The tariff mechanism has proven effective in influencing India's energy purchasing decisions as New Delhi seeks to clinch a trade deal with Washington.
UScould further raise import tariffs on Indiaover its Russian oil purchases. This warning builds on existing trade pressure, as the U.S. doubled import tariffs on Indian goods to 50 percent last year as punishment for heavy purchasing of Russian oil. The tariff mechanism has proven effective in influencing India's energy purchasing decisions as New Delhi seeks to clinch a trade deal with Washington.
