The U.S. House of Representatives has advanced legislation that could give President Donald Trump sweeping new authority to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on major buyers of Russian oil and gas, potentially including India and China.
The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 cleared a key procedural hurdle in the House on Tuesday, with two Democrats joining Republicans to advance the measure in a narrow 214-211 vote. A final House vote is expected Wednesday.
The Senate approved the legislation on August 7 by an 86-11 vote. If the House passes the bill, it would clear the final congressional hurdle before being sent to Trump for his signature.
The legislation would expand U.S. sanctions targeting Russia’s political leadership, energy and defence sectors, as well as its so-called “shadow fleet” of vessels accused of helping Moscow circumvent existing restrictions on Russian oil exports.
One of its most consequential provisions would authorize Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on major purchasers of Russian energy. The Senate version does not specifically identify India or China, instead targeting the five largest importers of Russian oil and gas by volume.
India and China are nevertheless among the countries that could potentially be affected because of their significant purchases of Russian energy. The legislation does not mean a 100 per cent tariff would automatically be imposed on Indian goods; rather, it would provide the president with authority to use such tariffs as part of Washington’s pressure campaign against Moscow.
The measure has divided Democrats, including lawmakers who support Ukraine but are concerned about granting Trump substantially greater discretion over U.S. tariff policy.
Representative Gregory Meeks, the ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, joined Don Beyer and Richard Neal in arguing that the legislation could ultimately do more harm than good. Their concerns centre on the breadth of presidential tariff powers and the possibility that new duties could increase prices for American consumers without guaranteeing stronger sanctions against Russia.
Neal also pointed to Trump’s previous use of tariffs against U.S. trading partners, including Canada and Mexico, questioning what safeguards would prevent the expanded authority from being used more broadly.
Democrats have consequently discussed narrowing the number of countries potentially exposed to secondary sanctions. Representative Steny Hoyer, a co-sponsor of the legislation, proposed identifying 10 countries: China, India, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Singapore, Slovakia and the United Arab Emirates.
The legislation has also encountered resistance from some Republicans who oppose deeper U.S. involvement in the Russia-Ukraine war, making Democratic votes potentially important to securing final House passage.
Ukraine, meanwhile, is urging Washington to move ahead with additional economic pressure on Moscow. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has publicly called for the sanctions bill to become law, arguing that stronger measures are needed against Russia.
Supporters of the legislation contend that targeting countries purchasing Russian energy could reduce Moscow’s oil revenues and, in turn, restrict resources available to finance its war against Ukraine.
For India, the bill could become another significant issue in its economic relationship with Washington. If enacted and subsequently applied to Indian imports, the tariff provisions could allow the Trump administration to link access to the U.S. market more directly to New Delhi’s continued purchases of Russian energy.
