New Delhi, July 7 -- Mukesh Ambani, Asia's richest man, is racing to buy American ethane gas as a shield against President Trump's trade war.

His company Reliance Industries imports 1.6 million tonnes yearly from US shale fields, shipped in giant tankers to Gujarat factories. This cheap gas replaces costlier oil-based naphtha for making plastics, saving $450 million annually.

With Trump threatening 26% "reciprocal tariffs" on Indian goods by July 9, Ambani's bet positions India as a key buyer of US energy, potentially easing tensions over India's $43 billion trade surplus with America. His fleet of six specialized ethane tankers now anchors this strategy, according to a Bloomberg report.

India's state-run GAIL is also trying to replica...