'India Is Buying Less Russian Oil' - US Says Delhi Asked Relief From 25% Duties; Tariff Rollback Soon?

India has reportedly requested the US to roll back the additional 25% tariffs, US Senator Lindsey Graham said on Sunday. Graham claimed that Vinay Mohan Kwatra, India’s Ambassador to the US, met him last

month to discuss New Delhi’s reduced imports of Russian oil and asked him to relay the request to President Donald Trump.“I was at the Indian Ambassador's house a month ago, and all he wanted to talk about was how India is buying less Russian oil. And he asked me to tell the President to relieve the 25% tariff,” Graham told reporters aboard Air Force One, alongside Trump.The 25% tariffs, imposed by Trump in August last year, targeted India’s Russian oil purchases, accusing the country of indirectly supporting Moscow’s war in Ukraine. With these duties in place, total tariffs on certain US imports rose to 50%.Trump, meanwhile, warned India could face higher tariffs if it continues buying Russian oil, even as he praised PM Modi. “PM Modi's a very good man… He knew I was not happy. They do trade, and we can raise tariffs on them very quickly,” Trump told reporters. India has defended its energy imports, citing the need to secure domestic energy supplies.This development comes in the wake of the US military strike on Venezuela, a major oil producer holding the world’s largest proven reserves of 303 billion barrels. Production there has fallen to roughly 1 million barrels per day due to sanctions and underinvestment, according to OPEC.In December, PM Modi and Trump held a telephonic conversation emphasizing the importance of maintaining trade momentum, even as tensions over tariffs lingered. Just days before the call, Trump had threatened new tariffs on Indian rice imports after US farm representatives raised concerns about alleged dumping by India, China, and Thailand.