A bill seeking to impose 100 per cent tariffs on five countries, including India and China, for buying Russian oil was introduced in the US Senate with the support of over 60 lawmakers, while exempting European nations that continue to purchase Russian gas under certain conditions.
The legislation, introduced on Thursday, was conceived by Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal and the late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham.
It seeks to cut off revenue that supports Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine by imposing mandatory sanctions on Russia’s political leadership, financial institutions, energy sector and sanctions-evasion networks.
Blumenthal had said on Tuesday that the proposed legislation would target five major purchasers of Russian oil, China, India, Slovakia, Hungary and Azerbaijan, with 100 per cent tariffs.
The bill applies tariffs on imports from countries that are among the world’s top five buyers of Russian crude oil or natural gas, or among the top five facilitators of Russian oil sanctions evasion.
It also requires the US Trade Representative to reassess the list of targeted countries every 180 days and adjust tariff rates based on changes in purchasing patterns.
The legislation exempts countries, mostly in Europe, whose imports of Russian natural gas account for less than 15 per cent of Russia’s total gas exports and that are taking significant steps to reduce those imports.
It also excludes US purchases of Russian uranium for nuclear reactors and medical isotope requirements, along with activities carried out under US-Russia cooperation in the nuclear and space sectors.
Named the Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026, the bill pays tribute to Graham, who died on Saturday. An earlier version of the legislation had proposed 500 per cent tariffs on buyers of Russian oil and gas.
If enacted, the measure would mark the first time the US Congress has explicitly authorised tariffs as a geopolitical tool to penalise countries financing another nation’s war effort.
“Until the very day he passed, Lindsey remained focused on passing the Russia sanctions bill. Passing this legislation would honour my brother’s steadfast commitment to our national security, and it would provide President Trump with additional leverage to bring this war to an end,” Senator Darline Graham said.
“I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass this legislation and send it to President Trump’s desk,” said Darline, Lindsey's sister who was appointed to the Senate to complete his remaining term in office.
Last month, the US proposed imposing a 12.5 per cent tariff on 54 countries, including India, for allegedly failing to prohibit the import of goods produced using forced labour.
(With inputs from PTI)
