US Senate Bill Seeks 100% Tariffs On India Over Russian Oil Purchases; 15 European Nations Exempt

Published 16 July 2026 · europe

US Senate Bill Seeks 100% Tariffs On India Over Russian Oil Purchases; 15 European Nations Exempt Published By, Last Updated: July 16, 2026, 07:42 IST

US Senate Bill Seeks 100% Tariffs On India Over Russian Oil Purchases; 15 European Nations Exempt Published By, Last Updated: July 16, 2026, 07:42 IST US senators propose tariffs up to 100% on India, China, and 3 others for buying Russian oil, exempting 15 European nations. The bill also targets Russia's economy and Putin. Photo for representation A bipartisan group of US senators has introduced a bill proposing tariffs of up to 100 per cent on India, China and three other countries for continuing to purchase Russian oil, while exempting 15 European nations that still import Russian gas. The legislation, spearheaded by the late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, targets India, China, Slovakia, Hungary and Azerbaijan, which lawmakers described as the largest buyers of Russian oil. The bill also proposes sweeping sanctions on Russia, including its energy and financial sectors, defence industry, oligarchs and even President Vladimir Putin. “It has been referred to as a tariffs bill, but actually it imposes full blocking sanctions on wide swaths of the Russian economy, including its energy industry, financial industry, defence industrial base, oligarchs, business people, and Vladimir Putin himself," Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut told reporters.

Blumenthal said the proposed tariffs were “narrowly targeted" at the five major purchasers of Russian oil and would include limited waiver provisions. “It imposes tariffs that are targeted and narrowly limited to the five major purchasers, up to 100 per cent, with waiver authority that is narrowly tailored and constricted," he said. The bill exempted 15 European countries that continue to buy Russian gas, with lawmakers arguing that such imports account for only a small share of their energy needs and that these countries are actively reducing their dependence on Moscow. “Our European allies are not targeted here. It is very important to understand that we have so narrowly crafted and tailored and targeted this bill to aim at the major purchasers of Russian oil and gas," Blumenthal added. If enacted, it would mark the first time the US Congress explicitly authorises tariffs as a geopolitical tool to penalise countries accused of financing another nation’s war effort. An earlier draft of the legislation had proposed tariffs of 500 per cent on countries purchasing Russian oil and gas. The bill was unveiled at a Capitol Hill press conference where Republican and Democratic senators paid tribute to Lindsey Graham, who died earlier this week.