Written by The Banking Post
White House trade adviser Peter Navarro has urged India to halt purchases of Russian crude, saying the trade is helping finance Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
“If India wants to be treated as a strategic partner of the US, it needs to start acting like one,” Navarro wrote in an opinion piece in the Financial Times, warning that New Delhi was “cozying up to both Russia and China.”
The comments come after President Donald Trump earlier this month raised tariffs on Indian goods by another 25 percent, doubling the duty to 50 percent, citing India’s continued reliance on Russian oil.
India has defended its position, arguing that it is being unfairly targeted while the US and EU continue to trade with Russia. Officials in New Delhi also point out that Russian imports are being converted into high-value exports, which Navarro described as acting like a “global clearinghouse” for Moscow’s crude.
The adviser further suggested that it was risky to transfer advanced US military technology to India given its growing engagement with both Russia and China. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is due to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping later this month, while Foreign Minister Wang Yi will arrive in New Delhi on Monday for talks on their disputed border.
Meanwhile, a planned visit by US trade negotiators to India from August 25–29 has been cancelled, according to officials, delaying discussions on a proposed trade deal and dashing hopes of tariff relief for Indian exporters.
