Steep US tariffs loom over India as Russia sanctions bill advances
The Rules Committee of the US House advanced a new Russia sanctions bill on Monday, rejecting an amendment from a Democratic lawmaker that sought to name India and China specifically as among the tariff targets, and setting up its final vote on the full floor.
The measure, once it becomes law, would give President Donald Trump the authority to impose tariffs of up to 100% on the top purchasers of Russian oil and gas. The bill, formally titled the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, was approved by the US Senate on August 7 in an 86-11 vote.
India is the second largest buyer of Russian oil, after China. New Delhi has defended its purchases of Russian crude, arguing that its decisions are guided by national interests and the need to ensure energy security for its 1.4 billion population. In August, Russia supplied around 2.1 million barrels per day of oil, accounting for 45% of India’s crude imports.
“This conflict, which is today in its fifth year, will not be solved because somebody is buying or not buying oil or alumina or minerals or metals or fertilizer,” Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar said in Kiev earlier this month. “This conflict will be solved by dialogue, by diplomacy, by negotiation.”
The House Rules Committee rejected amendments submitted by two Democratic lawmakers before teeing up the bill for a full floor vote, which could come this week. Speaker Mike Johnson has said he could fast-track the bill before the House departs on a seven-week recess Thursday.
Democratic lawmaker Steny Hoyer, in his amendment, named China, India, Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Hungary, Slovakia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Singapore, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan as the countries that should face the additional tariffs – instead of current language in the Senate-passed version that directs the tariffs at the top five purchasers of Russian oil and gas.
The tariff provision has faced opposition from some US lawmakers, including Democratic Congressman Gregory Meeks, who proposed his own amendment on removing Section 113, which grants the president authority to impose broad secondary tariffs on countries trading with Russia. However, the Rules Committee also rejected it.
The proposed tariffs form part of a broader sanctions package targeting Russia’s leadership and energy sector, as well as vessels Washington says are used to circumvent restrictions on Russian oil deliveries. The measure also provides for sanctions against senior Russian officials, banks, and business figures.
The bill also contains secondary financial sanctions. Under the measure, the US Treasury would be required to impose property-blocking sanctions on financial institutions organized under Russian law and owned wholly or partly by Russia, as well as financial institutions that conduct transactions with those entities.
