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Jaishankar raises India’s concerns over Russia oil tariff law with Rubio

Jaishankar said the proposed US measure could affect India’s exports and complicate the ongoing trade negotiations between the two countries.

United Nations: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Wednesday raised India's concerns over the US legislation that could allow tariffs of up to 100 per cent on buyers of Russian oil during his meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in New York.

After the meeting, Jaishankar said on X that he had "reiterated India's interests and concerns with regard to SRIA", referring to the Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act.

If applied to India, the tariff could affect Indian exports to the US and add pressure to the trade agreement being negotiated between the two countries. The law gives the US President authority to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on goods from major buyers of Russian oil and gas, including India, subject to conditions set out in the legislation.

After the legislation was passed, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said India remained "firmly committed to ensuring energy security for its 1.4 billion people".

"It will continue to do so through diversified sourcing and on the basis of evolving market dynamics," the MEA said.

It is estimated that about 37 per cent of Russia's oil exports go to India. US President Donald Trump had earlier imposed a 25 per cent tariff on India over its purchases of Russian oil, but rescinded it in February.

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Rubio made no reference to SRIA in his post about the meeting. "Together, we are building on the US-India strategic partnership and coordinating on key regional priorities and upcoming multilateral efforts," he wrote.

The meeting between Jaishankar and Rubio came on the eve of a scheduled meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington.

Jaishankar said the two also discussed the situations in the Gulf and Ukraine.

The disruption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz following the attacks on Iran by Israel and the US has had a significant impact on India, which is a major importer of oil from the Gulf region.

Last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi publicly urged Russian President Vladimir Putin, invoking the cause of humanity, to end the Ukraine war.

The meeting with Rubio was among a series of high-level engagements Jaishankar has been holding on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly's high-level week, where world leaders and senior diplomats have gathered.

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While SRIA and the unresolved trade agreement remain issues in India-US relations, cooperation between the two countries has continued in other areas.

The US and India are members of the Quad along with Japan and Australia and have been working together on security issues in the Indo-Pacific region.

At the Quad Foreign Ministers' meeting in New Delhi in May, the four countries reiterated their cooperation on maritime security, port infrastructure and energy. The effort was viewed as addressing concerns over China's growing influence in the region.


With IANS inputs

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