Washington: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has defended Washington’s decision to impose heavy tariffs on India for its energy dealings with Moscow, while avoiding similar punitive measures against China, Russia’s largest oil customer. Speaking to Fox Business on Sunday, Rubio argued that sanctioning Beijing would risk disrupting global energy flows and sharply drive-up oil prices.
The Biden administration recently levied a 50 percent tariff on Indian imports and a 25 percent duty specifically targeting India’s trade in Russian oil. The move has sparked debate over why China, which buys far greater volumes of Russian crude, has been left untouched.
Rubio explained that most of the oil shipped from Russia to China is being refined and re-exported into global markets, including Europe. “If you put secondary sanctions on Chinese refiners, the oil they sell into the world market disappears. That means global prices shoot up, and countries looking for alternatives pay more,” he said.
He further revealed that several European nations had privately raised concerns about the potential fallout of sanctioning China, pointing out that much of their energy still flows indirectly from Russian sources via Beijing. “We heard from a number of European countries not through press releases but directly that they were worried about the impact of tariffs or sanctions against China. Their economies would feel the shock,” Rubio noted.
When pressed on whether Europe itself might face penalties for continuing to buy Russian oil and gas, the Secretary of State avoided giving a direct answer. He acknowledged the issue was complicated but insisted that Washington was not seeking a confrontation with its allies. “I don’t want to get into a tit-for-tat with Europe. They can play a constructive role in helping us reach the point where Russia’s leverage over global energy weakens,” he said.
Rubio’s remarks underline the delicate balancing act Washington is attempting: punishing countries like India for energy trade with Moscow, while sparing China due to its deep entanglement in global oil markets and Europe’s continued reliance on re-exported Russian fuel. The stance has, however, drawn criticism for appearing inconsistent and selectively applied.