India Closely Tracks US Bill on 100% Tariff Over Russian Oil

"Closely following": MEA on US bill seeking 100% tariff on India, others due to Russian oil purchase

New Delhi, July 18

Addressing a weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that the government is aware of the proposed legislation and is monitoring the situation.

He reiterated that India's crude oil imports are guided by its energy security requirements and broader sourcing strategy, noting that New Delhi has multiple suppliers across the world.

"We are closely following these developments, and we are aware of the proposed legislation," Jaiswal said.

"As far as buying oil, we buy oil from various countries in the world. It is based on our approach towards energy sourcing," he added.

Referring to maritime traffic in the region, he said there is regular movement of Indian vessels between India and the Persian Gulf.

"On the number of Indian vessels which are there in the Persian Gulf, as of today, we have, there is regular traffic between India and the Persian Gulf region; we have seven Indian ships which are there in the Persian Gulf, Indian flagships which are there in the Persian Gulf," the MEA Spokesperson added.

MEA's response comes after a bipartisan group of more than 60 US Senators introduced revised legislation to impose sweeping sanctions on Russia, replacing the earlier proposal for blanket tariffs with targeted measures aimed at the world's largest buyers of Russian energy.

The revised bill, "Senator Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026", introduced after the death of Senator Lindsey Graham, holds major purchasers of Russian oil and gas accountable for supporting Russia's war in Ukraine.

According to an official release, the revised bill "refines tariff authority from a blanket 500 per cent tariff to tariffs on the top five purchasers of Russian crude oil and natural gas of upto 100 per cent," while creating an exception for countries importing less than 15 per cent of Russia's natural gas exports that are taking significant steps to reduce those imports.

The overview of the key changes said that the revised legislation also "adds new authority to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on the top five countries facilitating Russian oil sanctions evasion."

The legislation, initially introduced by Senator Graham and Senator Blumenthal in April 2025, aimed to cut off Russian President Vladimir Putin's revenue streams used to fund the war in Ukraine by mandating sanctions on Russia's political leadership, financial institutions, and energy sector.

Jaiswal also responded to a query on reported US military strikes on Iran's Chabahar port, stating that the "terminal itself did not face any damage."

"If you have been following the issue, there was a waiver which was given by America; that waiver got over some time back. Post that, we have been in discussion with relevant stakeholders as to how to take this particular issue forward. On the question of it being attacked, yes, we have seen some reports in that regard, but we can also tell you that the terminal itself did not face any damage," he stated.

— ANI