The US House of Representatives on September 16 approved a Russia sanctions bill that could provide President Donald Trump with authority to impose tariffs of up to 100% on imports from countries that continue purchasing Russian crude oil and natural gas.
The legislation, passed by a vote of 262-159, cleared the final congressional hurdle after the House approved amendments earlier passed by the Senate. The Senate had backed the bill with an 86-11 vote.
Bill targets Russia energy trade
Known as the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, the legislation seeks to increase economic pressure on Moscow and Tehran through sanctions targeting government officials, financial institutions, energy companies and other entities.
The bill also restricts fresh US investments in Russia, limits purchases of Russian sovereign debt and extends the Iran Sanctions Act until 2031.
The tariff provision has drawn attention in India as it allows the US president to increase duties on goods from countries that continue buying Russian energy under certain conditions. However, the legislation does not automatically impose a 100% tariff on India or any other country.
Any tariff action would require a separate decision by the US president after considering the authority provided under the law.
India exposure depends on future action
The tariff mechanism has evolved from earlier proposals. A previous version introduced in July had suggested imposing tariffs of up to 100% on imports from the five largest buyers of Russian oil and natural gas, including India and China. An earlier proposal had considered tariffs as high as 500%.
During House discussions, lawmakers Steny Hoyer and Marcy Kaptur proposed an amendment naming 10 countries, including India, China, Turkey, Singapore and the UAE, as potential targets for secondary tariffs.
However, the amendment was rejected by the House Rules Committee and did not become part of the final legislation.
The approved bill follows the Senate’s approach of referring to the largest importers of Russian energy rather than naming specific countries. The measure is now awaiting President Trump’s consideration before it can become law.
