India slashed U.S. and Russian oil in September, coinciding with ‘Russia Sanctions Act’; import from UAE increases
India has significantly reduced its oil imports from the U.S. and Russia following the enactment of the 'Russia Sanctions Act' by the U.S. government. To compensate, India has shifted its reliance toward the UAE, which now accounts for over a quarter of its total oil imports.
Why it matters
This shift highlights the geopolitical tension between India and the U.S. regarding energy security and sovereignty, potentially reshaping global oil trade dynamics.
New Delhi In what looks like a direct response to the ‘Russia Sanctions Act’ being signed into law that month, India in September 2026 slashed its oil imports from the U.S. to zero, and drastically cut down its imports of Russian oil, the latest official data shows. Trump signs Russia sanctions bill into law storyline 1 Instead, India turned to the UAE for its oil requirement, with that country’s share rising to more than one-fourth of India’s oil imports. As a result, India’s crude oil sourcing remains highly concentrated, with just two countries — Russia and the UAE — accounting for 60% of all oil imports. The U.S. House of Representatives on September 16 passed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, which was then signed into law by President Donald Trump on September 18. The law empowered the U.S.
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