The Bill, which will now be sent U.S. President Donald Trump for his signature, may lead to result in significant U.S. Tariffs on India
The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday (September 16, 2026) surpassed a legislation focusing on Russia’s energy sector, individuals and “shadow fleet” of tankers, along with authorising the U.S. President to impose tariffs of up to 100% on India and other nations for buying oil and gas from Russia. The House voted 262-159 in favour of the Bill.
The Bill, will now be sent President Donald Trump for his signature, ought to result in significant U.S. tariffs on India.
This Bill comes as New Delhi and Washington were negotiating a preliminary trade deal, with India also growing its purchase of Russian oil in comparison to last year. The President will have the authority, under the legislation, to waive sanctions in national interest.
What the Bill says on potential target countries
Countries that would be potential targets for the tariff are the top 5 “largest importers, by total volume” of Russian-origin crude oil or natural gas in the 12 months prior to the date of enactment of the law, and have knowingly made new purchases of Russian crude oil after 30 days from the date the Bill becomes law.
A nation that is among of the top five nations “facilitating Russian oil sanctions evasion” would also be eligible for the tariffs of up to 100%.
Nations which have taken considerable steps to lessen their Russian natural gas imports or whose gas import was reduce than 15% of Russia’s total gas export, could be exempt from the sanctions.
A House amendment proposed by Democrat Steny Hoyer that sought to name the top 10 importers — China, India, Turkiye, Azerbaijan, Hungary, Slovakia, the UAE and the Kyrgyz Republic — had not passed into the very last version considered on Wednesday (September 16, 2026).
New Delhi’s import of Russian oil hit a 11-month high in April this year following the U.S. And Israel’s war with Iran.
Earlier, India had cut back on purchases of Russian oil, hitting a 38-month low in December 2025. The Trump administration had declared an additional 25%, on top of an existing 25%, tariff on India for the purchase of Russian energy. The U.S. Treasury paused sanctions for oil shipments that were in transit before March 11, 2026, as supplies were hit following the U.S.-Iran battle.
The latest Bill, an amendment to the Senate’s “Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026”, will now head to President Donald Trump’s desk for his signature.
Concerns over sweeping powers to the President
The Bill, named for a prominent Ukraine supporter Mr, Graham — who died unexpectedly on July 11 this year — had passed the Senate 86-11 on August 7. Numerous prominent Democrats like Elizabeth Warren and people caucusing with Democrats like Bernie Sanders, as well as some Republicans, which include Rand Paul, had opposed the Bill, concerned over the sweeping powers it would give the President or the cost it would impose, through tariffs, on Americans.
Numerous lawmakers have been involved that the ability of Mr. Trump to impose tariffs on U.S. Allies —along with Canada and the European Union in its entirety— could be reinforced via the Act.
The Ranking Member (i.e., from the chamber’s minority or Democratic party) of the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC), Gregrory Meeks, criticised the Bill. “We cannot grant the President more tariff power that , we know, he will abuse,” Mr. Meeks said, adding that it would cost the least $3000 per American family, assuming Mr. Trump restricted tariffs on the top 5 importers of Russian oil.
In remarks on Tuesday (September 15, 2026), Mr. Meeks had emphasized that he supported sanctions on Russia, claiming that the President already had powers to sanction Russia but was not using them.
