China responds to Trump’s tariff threat: Import of Russian oil is legal
China has stated that its imports of Russian oil are "lawful and justified," dismissing US threats to impose new tariffs after Washington introduced additional duties on India for purchasing energy from Moscow.
This is reported by Bloomberg, according to Censor.NET.
Beijing rejected the US warnings, saying such trade with Russia is legal and aligns with China’s national interests.
"China has the right to conduct normal economic, trade and energy cooperation with all countries in the world, including Russia. We will continue to take reasonable measures to ensure energy security in line with our national interests," China’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump said he could punish China with additional tariffs over purchases of Russian oil, noting that "it could happen."
At the same time, his adviser Peter Navarro downplayed expectations of such action, saying higher tariffs "could hurt the United States."
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News on Thursday that tariffs against China over its oil imports from Russia "could be on the table at some point."
According to Chinese customs data, imports from Russia in July rose to $10.06 billion — the highest level since March.
However, in year-on-year terms, Russian supplies have fallen 7.7% in the first seven months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024.
