Key Points
- House advances Russia-Iran sanctions Bill by 214-211 vote
- Measure could authorise Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent
- India and China among major Russian oil buyers facing potential duties
ISLAMABAD: A US congressional Bill that could authorise President Donald Trump to impose tariffs up to 100 per cent on India and other countries buying Russian oil and gas has cleared a key procedural hurdle in the House of Representatives.
According to US and Indian media, after the obstacle clearance in the House, the bill is now closer to a final vote.
The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 advanced by a 214-211 vote on Tuesday, September 15, after two Democratic lawmakers joined Republicans in supporting the measure.
The House was expected to take up the Bill for a final vote on Wednesday, September 16.
The legislation seeks to increase economic pressure on Russia over its war in Ukraine by targeting its leadership, energy sector and financial networks.
It also includes measures against ships in Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet”, which Washington says helps Moscow circumvent sanctions and continue exporting oil.
A House amendment specifically identifies India among countries that could face tariffs of up to 100 per cent for purchases of Russian oil and gas. Other countries named include China, Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Kazakhstan, Hungary, Slovakia and Azerbaijan.
Bill empowers US president to impose up to 100 per cent tariff
The proposed tariff is not an automatic 100 per cent duty on Indian goods. Instead, the legislation would give the US president authority to impose tariffs of up to that level on countries that continue specified transactions involving Russian energy.
The Senate passed its version of the legislation on August 7 by an 86-11 vote. The Senate measure did not specifically name individual trading partners but referred to major importers of Russian oil and gas.
India has become one of Russia’s largest oil customers since Western sanctions and the restructuring of global energy markets following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Indian refiners have purchased substantial volumes of Russian crude, often at discounted prices, making energy trade between the two countries an important issue in US-India relations.
The proposed US legislation therefore seeks to extend the pressure beyond Russia itself by potentially penalising major buyers of Russian energy. Washington has argued that revenues from Russian oil exports help finance Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
The Bill has also faced opposition from some Democrats who have raised concerns about the scope of presidential tariff powers. Representative Gregory Meeks, the ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, argued that the legislation would give the president broad authority to impose tariffs without sufficient safeguards.
The legislation also contains provisions relating to Iran, extending the sanctions framework beyond Russia and its energy trade.
In case of the House’s approval, the measure would still have to be reconciled with the Senate version before being sent to Trump for signature.
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The House is scheduled to begin an early recess on Thursday, September 17, before returning after the November midterm elections.
The proposed measure follows a series of US tariff actions targeting Indian imports over New Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil.
In 2025, the Trump administration imposed an additional 25 per cent duty on Indian goods over Russian oil imports, on top of a separate reciprocal tariff.
The White House later removed the additional Russian-oil tariff in February 2026 after India committed to stop buying Russian crude and also reduced the reciprocal tariff to 18 per cent.
The latest congressional proposal could reopen the issue by authorising tariffs of up to 100 per cent if India resumes or continues specified trade with Russia.
