U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is due to meet Reliance Industries representatives in Jamnagar during an India visit focused partly on energy, as Washington pursues a trade agreement with New Delhi.
Reliance says its Jamnagar refinery can process 1.4 million barrels of crude a day, making it the world’s largest single-site refinery. Deutsche Welle reported that the facility has been a major buyer of Russian Urals crude. That reported connection places the Jamnagar stop alongside U.S. decisions on how to address Russian energy purchases without disrupting oil supplies.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs scheduled Rubio’s visit for Oct. 20-22. The U.S. Department of State lists Mumbai and Jamnagar as destinations and says Rubio will meet officials and business leaders to discuss energy cooperation and commercial investment. U.S. Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said Oct. 15 that Rubio would meet Reliance representatives in Jamnagar. Neither announcement specifies a tour of the refinery.
Speaking in Samarkand on Oct. 19, Rubio said the United States was “very close” to completing a trade deal with India. He gave no signing date. He also said trade negotiations were one consideration in U.S. decisions on national-security waivers, alongside global energy supplies, prices and the difficulty some countries face in finding alternative energy sources.
The White House’s Oct. 16 order sets an additional 100% duty on goods from the five largest importers of Russian-origin oil and natural gas if they knowingly make new purchases beginning Oct. 18. The order suspends the new Russia-related duties without a fixed end date, leaving further action to the president or secretary of state. It does not identify the five countries.
Rubio’s scheduled India visit runs through Oct. 22. The announced itinerary gives no date for a trade agreement or a decision on the suspended duties.
