US Senate Passes Russia Sanctions Bill, India Could Face Tariffs of Up to 100%

Washington: India could face higher tariffs on its exports to the US after the Senate passed a sweeping Russia sanctions bill that could impose duties of up to 100 per cent on major buyers of Russian energy.

The legislation, passed by an 86-11 vote, does not specifically name India. Instead, it directs the US administration to identify countries covered by the measure using trade data.

The **Lindsey Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026** will now move to the House of Representatives, where senior Democrats have already raised concerns over its tariff provisions.

Under the bill, countries could be targeted if they rank among the five largest importers of Russian crude oil, the five biggest importers of Russian natural gas or the five leading countries allegedly facilitating the evasion of sanctions on Russian oil.

The assessments would be based on trade data covering the latest 12-month period and would be reviewed every 180 days.

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India, China and Brazil were separately identified by Republican Senator Deb Fischer in a statement backing the legislation. Her remarks, however, are not part of the bill’s statutory language.

“The Kremlin’s war machine runs on the money it makes from selling cheap oil and gas to countries like China, India, and Brazil who then profit by reselling Russian energy at a markup,” Fischer said, arguing that countries supporting Russia’s energy trade should face consequences.

She said the measure would put pressure on some of the world's biggest buyers of Russian energy to reduce their dependence on Moscow.

Besides the tariff provisions, the bill proposes primary and secondary sanctions against Russian officials, oligarchs and their family members, banks and financial institutions. It also targets foreign entities accused of supporting Moscow’s war in Ukraine and Russia’s so-called shadow fleet used to transport oil and circumvent sanctions.

“Today we say to the people of Ukraine, you are not alone. And we say to Vladimir Putin, you will not conquer Ukraine,” Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal said.

The legislation was named after Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who had negotiated an agreement with the White House before his sudden death on July 11. Following his death, senators accelerated work on the measure.

The bill would also extend the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 until 2031. The law imposes penalties on companies investing in Iran’s energy sector.

The tariff provisions sparked divisions among Democrats. An amendment introduced by Republican Senator Rand Paul and Democratic Senator Ron Wyden to remove those provisions was defeated 32-64.

Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock subsequently lifted his hold on the legislation after US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer gave a written commitment that the administration would implement the law as written.

“Let’s be clear: Putin is a war criminal, and his war machine must be stopped,” Warnock said. “But we should not have to choose between putting a check on Putin’s aggression and putting a check on this president’s tariff regime.”

In the House, Foreign Affairs Committee ranking Democrat Gregory Meeks and Representative Don Beyer criticised the legislation, saying it would give President Donald Trump extensive tariff powers while retaining broad presidential waiver authority over sanctions.

“But the current text is unacceptable,” they said.

The House is currently in recess until August 31 and has not indicated whether it will take up the Senate measure. Lawmakers had passed a separate Russia sanctions and Ukraine aid bill in June after supporters used a discharge petition to force a vote.

With inputs from IANS