The U.S. House of Representatives has passed legislation targeting Russia’s energy sector that could authorize President Donald Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on India and other major buyers of Russian oil and natural gas.
The House approved the legislation by a 262-159 vote on Wednesday, September 16. The measure targets Russia’s energy industry, individuals linked to Moscow and its so-called “shadow fleet” of tankers. Having previously cleared the Senate, the legislation will now be sent to Trump for his signature.
Under the legislation, potential tariff targets would include countries ranked among the five largest importers by volume of Russian-origin crude oil or natural gas during the 12 months before the law takes effect. To face the tariffs, those countries would also have to knowingly make new purchases of Russian crude more than 30 days after the legislation becomes law. Countries identified as among the five largest facilitators of Russian oil sanctions evasion could also face tariffs of up to 100 per cent.
The legislation includes exemptions for countries that have taken significant steps to reduce imports of Russian natural gas or whose purchases account for less than 15 per cent of Russia’s total gas exports. An amendment that would have explicitly named several potential targets, including China, India, Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Hungary, Slovakia, the United Arab Emirates and Kyrgyzstan, was not included in the final version considered by the House.
India could nevertheless face significant exposure because of its continued purchases of Russian energy. New Delhi’s Russian oil imports reached an 11-month high in April 2026 after previously falling to a 38-month low in December 2025. The Trump administration had already imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff on India over its purchases of Russian energy, on top of an existing 25 per cent tariff.
The development comes as Washington and New Delhi have been negotiating a preliminary trade agreement. The legislation would give the U.S. president authority to waive sanctions when deemed to be in the national interest, potentially providing the administration with flexibility in applying the measures.
The bill has also generated debate in Washington over the additional tariff powers it would give the president. Some lawmakers have raised concerns that the authority could potentially be used against U.S. allies, including Canada and the European Union, while opponents have also warned that additional tariffs could increase costs for American consumers.
The legislation is an amendment to the Senate’s “Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026.” The Senate approved the measure 86-11 on August 7. With the House vote now complete, the bill heads to the White House, where Trump will decide whether to sign it into law.
