New Delhi: The bill in America to impose heavy tariffs on countries buying oil and gas from Russia has now gone a step further. The US House of Representatives on Wednesday approved advancing the bill by a 214-211 vote. Now the final vote on this is to be held on Thursday. If this law is enacted, then President Donald Trump may get the right to impose tariffs up to 100 percent on countries purchasing energy from Russia on a large scale. India could also potentially come under its purview. However, it would not be right to say that 100 percent tariff on India has been decided, because even after the law is made, the decision to implement it will be in the hands of the American administration.
Why did India’s name appear in this bill?
This entire matter is related to Lindsey O. Graham sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026. The US Senate approved this bill in August by a vote of 86-11. The proposed legislation also seeks to impose secondary tariffs on countries that buy Russian energy, along with a crackdown on Russia’s energy sector and networks that help evade sanctions.
In an amendment presented in the House of Representatives, it was proposed to clearly record the names of 10 countries including India. This includes China, India, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Hungary, Slovakia, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. The US House Rules Committee document also mentions an amendment listing these countries as potentially eligible countries for up to 100 percent duty.
Will a 100% tariff be imposed on India as soon as the bill is passed?
No. It is important to understand this difference. The proposed law would give the President the power to impose tariffs up to 100 percent. This does not mean that once the law is passed, 100 percent duty will be directly imposed on all products in India.
According to reports, the final rate and which countries it will be applied to will be decided by the US administration. Therefore, at the moment it is more correct to see it as a possible threat of 100 percent tariff.
What has India said to Russia on oil?
India has long maintained that its energy purchasing decisions are taken keeping in mind the country’s needs and national interest. On September 15, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said regarding energy cooperation with Russia that talks are going on between the two countries and technical teams are working on it. He described energy cooperation as an important part of India-Russia relations.
That is, amidst American pressure and proposed tariffs, talks are going on on the energy relations between India and Russia. This is not seen to be limited to just the issue of tariffs.
Why is America eyeing Russian oil?
America and its allies have been increasing pressure on Russia for a long time regarding its energy income. The purpose behind this is to limit Russia’s energy earnings. The US bill also seeks action against Russian officials, the energy sector and ships accused of helping them evade sanctions.
The problem is important for India because Russia has been among the country’s major crude oil suppliers in the last few years. In such a situation, any additional US action on Russian oil could impact both trade and energy strategy.
What will happen next now?
The bill passed a key procedural step in the US House of Representatives on Wednesday. Now the final vote on this is to be held on Thursday. If the House approves it, the bill will then go to the President. Only after this will it be clear what the final form of the law and how the US administration uses it.
At present the situation before India is that on one hand America is increasing pressure on energy purchase from Russia, while on the other hand New Delhi is talking about continuing energy cooperation with Russia. The decision of the US Parliament in the coming days will be important for both India-US trade relations and India’s oil purchase policy from Russia.
