<h1>US labels Shanghai Cooperation Organisation 'performative' as 50% tariff on imports tied to Russian oil sparks legal trade dispute</h1> A senior US Treasury official characterized the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation as 'performative' and signaled that bilateral tensions over a US 50% tariff on imports linked to purchases of Russian oil will be resolved between the two countries. The US alleges that certain commercial flows involving Russian crude effectively finance the Russian war effort; India defends its energy purchases as market-driven and says the tariffs are unjustified. The dispute raises legal issues under trade and sanctions law, including tariff justification, extraterritorial application of sanctions, potential WTO or retaliatory claims, and the interplay of national security and trade negotiation dynamics.