A bipartisan group of US senators has introduced a new bill that proposes tariffs of up to 100 per cent on imports from five countries, including India and China, over their continued purchase of Russian oil. The move is aimed at increasing economic pressure on Russia amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Besides India and China, the proposed legislation also targets Slovakia, Hungary and Azerbaijan. However, the bill does not include 15 European countries that still import Russian natural gas.
Lawmakers said those nations are gradually reducing their dependence on Russian energy and that gas imports now account for only a limited portion of their overall energy requirements.
If approved, the legislation would mark the first time the US Congress has sought to use tariffs as a foreign policy tool to penalise countries that continue to financially support Russia through energy purchases.
Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut said the bill goes beyond tariffs and includes sweeping sanctions against key sectors of the Russian economy.
Speaking to reporters, Blumenthal said the proposed legislation would impose comprehensive sanctions on Russia’s energy, financial and defence sectors, while also targeting Russian President Vladimir Putin, business leaders and oligarchs. He added that tariffs of up to 100 per cent would apply only to the five largest buyers of Russian oil, namely India, China, Slovakia, Hungary and Azerbaijan.
The proposal is a revised version of an earlier bill that had sought tariffs of up to 500 per cent on countries importing Russian oil and gas. Lawmakers said the latest version has been narrowed to focus on the biggest purchasers of Russian crude.
Blumenthal also clarified that the legislation is not aimed at America’s European allies.
“Our European allies are not targeted under this bill. It has been specifically designed to focus on the largest buyers of Russian oil and gas,” he said.
The bill was jointly presented by Republican and Democratic senators during a press conference on Capitol Hill.
Lawmakers described it as a tribute to Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who played a key role in shaping the proposal before his death earlier this week.
Republican Senator Katie Britt said Graham had worked tirelessly to build support for the legislation and believed it would become one of the most significant achievements of his political career. Senator Roger Wicker echoed those sentiments, calling it Graham’s biggest contribution towards preserving peace in Europe.
Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, urged Congress to act quickly and pass the bill while the opportunity remains.
The proposed legislation comes weeks after the US announced plans to impose a 12.5 per cent tariff on imports from 54 countries, including India, alleging that they had failed to adequately prevent the import of goods produced through forced labour.
The bill has been introduced in the Senate but will need approval from both chambers of Congress before it can be sent to the US President for consideration. Its final provisions could change as it moves through the legislative process.
