India ramped up US crude oil imports under Trump 2.0; Here’s how much it bought

India has dramatically increased its crude oil imports from the United States since President Donald Trump began his second term, marking a notable shift in the country’s energy procurement strategy. According to government data, crude imports from the US surged by 51% between January and June 2025 compared to the same period last year – from 0.18 million barrels per day (mb/d) to 0.271 mb/d.

The growth was even sharper in the April–June 2025 quarter, with a year-on-year increase of 114%. In value terms, imports from the US more than doubled, jumping from $1.73 billion in Q1 of FY25 to $3.7 billion in Q1 of FY26. The momentum continued into July, with a 23% rise over June figures, pushing the US share in India’s overall crude imports from 3% to 8%.

The energy shift comes at a time of rising geopolitical tension. While Trump has criticised India’s trade practices and imposed a 25% tariff on all Indian goods starting August 1, Indian firms appear to be expanding their energy engagement with the US. “In the financial year (2025–26), Indian companies would increase their crude oil import by 150%,” sources familiar with the plan said.

Beyond crude oil, India’s imports of American liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) have also soared. LNG imports nearly doubled in FY25 to $2.46 billion from $1.41 billion in FY24. Sources added that a long-term LNG deal, possibly worth tens of billions of dollars, is under discussion.

Despite recent rhetoric from Washington, the Indian government continues to emphasise the resilience of bilateral ties. Speaking on Friday, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “India and the United States share a comprehensive global strategic partnership anchored in shared interests, democratic values, and robust people-to-people ties. This partnership has weathered several transitions and challenges. We remain focused on the substantive agenda that our two countries have committed to and are confident that the relationship will continue to move forward.”

The sharp increase in energy trade also comes against the backdrop of new US tariffs. Trump last week accused India of buying large quantities of Russian oil and military equipment, declaring, “I don’t care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care.” He added, “We have done very little business with India, their Tariffs are too high, among the highest in the World.”

India’s oil imports from Russia now account for 35–40% of its total crude basket, up from 0.2% before the Russia–Ukraine war, making it the second-largest buyer of Russian crude after China. 

Further escalating tensions, the Trump administration also imposed sanctions on six Indian companies for their involvement in Iranian petrochemical trade. The US State Department said the move was part of efforts to “stem the flow of revenue that the [Iranian] regime uses to support terrorism abroad.”

India, however, has reiterated its focus on long-term stability in global partnerships. In Parliament, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal responded to Trump’s “dead economy” remark by asserting that India is the “world’s fastest-growing major economy” and is on track to become the third largest. “India is contributing to almost 16 per cent of global growth,” Goyal said.