NEW DELHI -- India aims to cut imports of Iranian crude by 11 percent to 15.5 million tonnes in 2012/13, Junior Oil Minister R. P. N. Singh told parliament on May 15, equivalent to about 310,000 barrels per day (bpd).
Singh said India imported 17.44 million tonnes of oil in 2011/12, down 5.7 percent from the year earlier.
Japan secured a waiver from U.S. sanctions with cuts of 15-22 percent in its imports.
The United States wants allies to reduce oil imports from Iran substantially as it tries to pressure Tehran over its nuclear program which the West thinks aims to build atomic weapons. Tehran denies this.
Data made available to Reuters last week showed India's total oil imports from Iran in April fell about a third to around 269,000 bpd from March.
India's foreign secretary Ranjan Mathai said in March that in the last contract year to March 31, 2012, India's purchases of crude from Iran were expected to be under 340,000 bpd.
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