US Congressman Brad Sherman says Trump looking for excuses to slap 'outrageous tariffs' on India

India gets just 21% of its crude from Russia, but our ally is being singled out, said India gets just 21% of its crude from Russia, but our ally is being singled out

US Congressman Brad Sherman has claimed Donald Trump is looking for excuses to slap outrageous tariffs on India.

In a post on social media platform X, the California Democrat questioned why India was being singled out despite importing a smaller share of crude from Russia.

“President Trump is grasping for excuses to slap outrageous tariffs on #India. He claims it’s about importing Russian oil -- yet Hungary imports 90% of its crude from Russia with no tariffs. And China, Russia’s biggest oil buyer, hasn’t been hit with sanctions tied to purchasing Russian oil, though it has been hit for other reasons,” Sherman wrote.

“India gets just 21% of its crude from Russia, but our ally is being singled out. The President should reverse this policy immediately,” he added.

His statement comes amid Russia's vehement rejection that India was planning to cut back on purchases of Russian oil. Pushing back against Washington's claim that New Delhi has agreed to stop importing Russian crude oil, Russia's foreign ministry said it has "no reason" to believe that was true.

“We have no reason to believe that India has changed its position on buying Russian hydrocarbons. India’s purchase of Russian hydrocarbons benefits both countries and helps maintain stability in the international energy market,” Russia's foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said in her weekly briefing.

“There is nothing new in the claims of US President Donald Trump, as well as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who have grabbed the right to dictate to independent nations,” Zakharova said.

Following a recent phone conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and United States President Donald Trump, both sides announced a reduction of the US tariffs on Indian goods to 18 per cent from 50 per cent.

The reduction included the removal of a 25 per cent tariff that Trump had slapped on India in August last year for New Delhi's purchase of Russian oil.