US Says Europe Rejected Tariffs on India and China Over Russian Oil

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on October 18, 2026, that European allies had refused Washington’s request to impose tariffs on India and China for buying Russian oil. His comments renewed a dispute over how to restrict Moscow’s energy revenue, two days after President Donald Trump waived new American penalties targeting major Russian energy buyers.

Speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press, Bessent said he approached European allies in the spring about coordinated tariffs, according to The Times of India . “So why should the US bear the burden?” he asked.

As of October 19, the latest development is Bessent’s renewed accusation, not a new joint tariff agreement or confirmation that the newly authorized U.S. duties are being collected.

What Washington Has Waived

Trump’s October 16 executive order implemented provisions of the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, signed September 18, while simultaneously waiving major new penalties.

The order sets out additional 100% duties on goods from the five largest importers of Russian crude oil and natural gas under specified conditions. Those duties are waived and are not currently being collected under that order. Previously imposed executive order sanctions remain in place.

Bessent described the waiver as allowing a 60 day assessment. The order itself does not establish an automatic expiration after 60 days. It leaves the waivers effective until the president or designated officials determine further action is appropriate.

Europe’s Restrictions and Earlier Resistance

Bessent also criticized continued European purchases of Russian energy. According to Moneycontrol’s account of the interview, he claimed that 136 of 140 cargoes leaving Russia’s Yamal facility in the first half of 2026 went to Belgium, Spain, France and the Netherlands, worth more than $8 billion.

Those are Bessent’s figures, not independently verified totals in that account. They concern liquefied natural gas, not crude oil.

In an October 13 briefing , the European Commission emphasized declining dependence on Russian energy while acknowledging imports permitted during transition periods. The EU timetable provides for a full Russian LNG import ban from January 2027 and a pipeline gas ban from autumn 2027. That briefing preceded Bessent’s remarks and was not a direct response.

The tariff disagreement also predates this month. Reuters reported in September 2025 that EU sources considered blanket tariffs on India and China unlikely, citing concerns about trade relations and the legal justification for tariffs. Officials distinguished those measures from targeted sanctions against individual businesses.

What This Means for India and China

India previously faced an additional 25% U.S. tariff explicitly linked to Russian oil purchases, effective August 27, 2025. A February 6, 2026, White House order removed that surcharge effective February 7. China did not face an equivalent blanket Russian oil tariff.

Recent trade estimates also show why lower Indian purchases do not necessarily mean an equivalent decline in Russian exports. S&P Global’s vessel tracking estimates for September 2026 showed Russian seaborne crude shipments to India falling 59% from August, while shipments to China rose 22% and total exports increased 8%.

The immediate distinction is between proposed pressure and enforced penalties: Europe is phasing out remaining Russian gas imports, while Washington has waived its newest tariff mechanism. Neither Bessent’s accusation nor the law’s enactment establishes that those new duties are in force.