Trump Says He Could Hit China With Tariffs Over Russia Oil Purchase

Trump Says He Could Hit China With Tariffs Over Russia Oil Purchase - The warning comes after the president imposed 25 percent additional tariffs on India, another key buyer of Russian energy.

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Aug 8, 2025 - 09:55
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Trump Says He Could Hit China With Tariffs Over Russia Oil Purchase

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U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he could impose more duties on Chinese goods, after hitting India with punitive tariffs over its purchase of Russian oil.

Trump’s executive order that imposed a 25 percent additional duty on Indian goods followed his earlier warning of secondary tariffs on buyers of Russian oil, unless the Kremlin ended its war with Ukraine.
When asked on whether China would be hit with similar penalties, he said it “could happen.” 

“It may happen. I mean, I don’t know. I can’t tell you yet. We did it with India. We’re doing it probably with a couple of others. One of them could be China,” he said.

China’s buying of Russian crude oil is a point of contention in trade talks between Beijing and Washington.

On July 30, the Chinese Foreign Ministry dismissed what it said was U.S. “coercion and pressuring,” saying the regime would “always ensure its energy supply in ways that serve our national interests.”

The targeting of key Russian oil buyers, such as China, India, and Brazil, is part of the Trump administration’s plan to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin into entering a peace deal.

The U.S. president originally gave Moscow 50 days when he revealed the plan of secondary tariffs on July 14. Last week, he shortened the deadline to 10 to 12 days.

Ahead of his order to raise tariffs on India, Trump told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” that India’s purchase of Russian crude oil is “fueling the war machine.”

India defended the purchases, saying it intends to provide the population with affordable energy.

According to an analysis published on July 11 by the Finland-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, China and India have been the top buyers of Russia’s crude exports since the European Union embargoed Russian oil products.

Between December 2022 and the end of June 2025, China and India bought 47 percent and 38 percent of Russia’s crude exports, respectively.

During the same period, Turkey and China purchased 26 percent and 13 percent, respectively, of Russia’s refined oil product exports. Brazil purchases 12 percent of Russian oil products—making it the third largest buyer after Turkey and China.

Commenting on Trump’s tariffs on India over purchasing Russian oil, Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said at a Thursday press conference that Beijing’s opposition to the use of tariffs “is consistent and clear.”

Meanwhile, the Kremlin said on Thursday that Putin and Trump will likely meet “in the coming days.”

A U.S.–China tariff pause, which is set to expire on Aug. 12, will likely be extended for another 90 days, according to U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

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