India subtly hits back at US 500% tariff threat, says cheap energy is non-negotiable

New Delhi: India on Friday signalled that its energy decisions will continue to be guided by affordability and national interest, amid a proposed bill in the United States Congress seeking to impose a 500 percent duty on countries that continue to purchase Russian oil.

Responding to questions on the legislation, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi is aware of the bill and is closely tracking developments linked to it.

“We are aware of this bill, and we are focused on the developments. You are aware of our approach towards energy sources,” Jaiswal said at the weekly media briefing.

Reiterating India’s long-standing position on energy sourcing, he stressed that decisions are shaped by global market conditions and the need to secure affordable energy for the country’s vast population.

"Our position on the larger question of energy sourcing is well known. In this endeavour, we are guided by the evolving dynamics of the global market and by the imperative to secure affordable energy for our 1.4 billion people through diverse sources to meet the energy security needs,” he said.

The MEA’s remarks come days after US Senator Lindsey Graham said that President Donald Trump had given the go-ahead to a bipartisan Russia sanctions bill. Graham claimed the legislation would give Washington “tremendous leverage” over countries such as India, China and Brazil that continue to buy discounted Russian crude.

According to Graham, the bill — titled the Sanctioning of Russia Act 2025 — aims to impose sweeping penalties, including raising tariffs on Russian goods and services entering the United States to at least 500 per cent of their value. He also indicated that the measure could be put to a vote soon.