US tariffs, domestic protests, and Venezuelan oil were not a coordinated plot?

checkthis · automated fact-check · How we check · Reel by @nofilterwithnik

The Reel falsely claims PM Modi forced the US to lower tariffs to 18% through a Reliance oil deal, misrepresenting trade records and inventing links to domestic unrest. ATB Legal reports that the proposed 18 percent US tariff rate was part of an unratified February 2026 interim framework that was never implemented or applied to Indian goods. Reuters reported that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Reliance's Jamnagar refinery to encourage processing Venezuelan crude to replace Russian oil, not because the US was forced into a deal on India's terms. No evidence connects domestic Indian political issues to US trade negotiations or Venezuela.

5 claims checked
7 sources
Checked 7 Nov 2026
Main source: One Year of U.S. Tariffs: Shifts in India's Export Patterns

▶

The Reel we checked

@nofilterwithnik

🇮🇳 Tariffs, oil and geopolitics, how does the global power game affect India? From US tariffs on Indian exports to India’s energy trade with Russia, the…

Watch on Instagram ↗

The trick: Coincidence = cause

It claims one thing caused another only because it came first or happened at the same time (known as false cause).

“यह जो सारा pressure chaos create किया गया है from outside and inside। इसका एक तार जुड़ता है Venezuela में।”

The Reel links unrelated domestic Indian political topics and Venezuelan crude oil to US trade policy without any evidence establishing causation.

How this trick works and how to answer it →

What we checked

In September 2025, a 100 percent tariff was introduced on branded and patented pharmaceutical products from India.“About one-third of Indian exports to the US, including pharmaceuticals and smartphones, face no tariffs”‘Severe sectoral pain’: India’s exports to US fall for third straight month as Trump imposes 50% tariffs; what should be the policy response? - The Times of India

Reliance signed an oil refining deal with the US on India's terms.“US Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans to encourage India's Reliance Industries to refine more Venezuelan crude at its local refineries and potentially begin producing oil in the South American count”Rubio to encourage India's Reliance to produce, refine more Venezuelan oil | Miami Herald

On April 2, 2025, Donald Trump announced a 26 percent tariff on Indian goods.“India was initially subjected to a 26% tariff (a 10% baseline plus 16% reciprocal rate) on 2 nd April 2025, under EO 14257.”One Year of U.S. Tariffs: Shifts in India's Export Patterns

On August 27, 2025, the US raised total tariffs on Indian imports to 50 percent.“U.S. President Donald Trump's doubling of tariffs on imports from India to as much as 50% took effect as scheduled on Wednesday”Trump's doubling of tariffs hits India, damaging ties | Reuters

In January 2026, the USA removed the Venezuelan President from his home and seized Venezuelan oil fields.“On 3 January 2026, the United States captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in a military raid on Caracas .”Venezuela: What has happened since Maduro’s capture in January 2026? - House of Commons Library

Connected

The same claim was checked in another Reel (@unknown, ): “In 2026, the United States targeted Chile, Spain, France, and India with tariffs.”, found false (see it)

What the Reel doesn't tell you

The Reel omits that the 18 percent tariff rate was only a proposed framework in an unratified interim agreement that was never legally implemented or applied, and that internal domestic issues in India have no documented connection to US trade negotiations or Venezuela.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Washington wants Reliance Industries to refine more Venezuelan crude to bring additional supplies to the market and diversify energy sources away from Russian oil, as reported by Bloomberg and Reuters.
The White House and US government stated that reciprocal tariffs were announced under executive orders to rectify trade deficits and address India's purchases of Russian oil, as reported by Reuters and official US statements.

How it plays you

It wants you to think: “External tariff pressure from the US and internal domestic political unrest in India were part of a coordinated effort to force India into trade concessions, which Narendra Modi successfully resisted.”

Although US officials encouraged Reliance to process heavy Venezuelan crude, no evidence links internal domestic Indian protests to US trade policy or shows a deal was signed on forced terms.

Short version

⚠️ MISLEADING 👉 ATB Legal reports that the proposed 18 percent US tariff rate was part of an unratified February 2026 interim framework that was never implemented or applied to Indian goods. 🎭 Trick: Coincidence = cause 📰 Sources: Times of India, Miami Herald 🔎 Full check: send this Reel to @checkthis.chat