Chinese refiners are seizing the opportunity to expand their purchases of Russian crude after India scaled back imports under pressure from newly imposed US tariffs. Following Western sanctions on Moscow in 2022, both China and India became the primary destinations for Russian oil. However, recent moves by Washington have shifted trade flows once again.
US President Donald Trump announced a 25% tariff on Indian imports effective August 27, penalizing New Delhi for its continued oil trade with Russia. The measure, coming on top of an earlier 25% duty, prompted Indian refiners to temporarily halt Russian crude purchases, which had accounted for 36% of India’s supply.
This opened the door for Beijing. According to Muyu Xu, senior crude analyst at Kpler, China’s state-owned and private refiners bought 13 cargoes of Russian crude for October and at least two for November, shipments that traditionally went to India.
Xu described the move as “opportunistic,” highlighting Russian crude’s $3-per-barrel discount compared to Middle Eastern alternatives. He added that China will likely continue to boost imports as Trump is “still pressing hard” on India.
While Trump has warned Beijing that tariffs could extend to Chinese oil purchases from Russia, he clarified last week that such measures were not “immediately under consideration.”
Meanwhile, reports suggest Indian refiners have already resumed imports after a brief pause. Bloomberg and Reuters confirmed this week that Indian Oil and Bharat Petroleum secured new shipments for September and October. New Delhi has denounced Washington’s tariffs as “unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable,” reiterating its commitment to safeguarding national energy security.
At the same time, Russia reaffirmed its role as a reliable supplier. Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov stated Moscow would continue oil deliveries, while Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar emphasized that bilateral trade remains on track to hit $100 billion by 2030.
