Trump backs Graham's Russia Sanctions Bill, setting up fresh tariff threat for India
By Reena Bhardwaj, Washington DC, July 14,
The Trump administration has signalled its backing for a sweeping Russia sanctions bill that could subject India to steep new tariffs over its purchases of Russian oil, a White House official told, days after the legislation's lead sponsor, Senator Lindsey Graham, died.
Responding to a query from ANI on whether President Trump would support the bill and whether India could face fresh penalties for buying Russian crude, a White House official said: "President Trump supports the bill."
The legislation, often referred to as the Sanctioning Russia Act, co-authored by Graham along with Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, would give Trump the authority to impose a tariff of up to 500 per cent on imports from countries doing business with Russia's energy sector.
The bill would authorise 500 per cent secondary tariffs on buyers of Russian energy, and if enacted, would represent the most sweeping secondary tariff authority over third-country trade Congress has ever granted a president.
Graham had repeatedly named India and China as central targets, arguing that the bill's real focus is to hit the customers of Putin and that China and India together buy around 70 per cent of Russian oil, gas and petroleum products. Graham believed that the war would end when economic pressure forced these buyers to turn on Moscow.
Indian refiners cut back Russian crude imports sharply earlier this year amid bilateral trade talks with Washington and US sanctions on Russian oil producers. The Russian crude import dropped from roughly 1.84 million barrels a day in November 2025 to about 1.04 million barrels a day by February 2026, according to Kpler data.
Complicating matters further, a temporary US Treasury waiver that had allowed Indian purchases of Russian crude without triggering sanctions lapsed on June 17, 2026, leaving India's current purchasing position in a legal grey zone. Economists estimate a full 500 per cent tariff scenario could shave up to 0.5 per cent off India's GDP, with pharmaceuticals, textiles and IT services major US export earners facing the most immediate disruption. New Delhi has not issued a public response to the latest development and has consistently maintained that its energy purchases are guided by national economic interest rather than political alignment.
The push for the legislation comes at an unusual moment for the Senate. Graham worked on the bill for more than a year before his death, and many senators now see passing it as a fitting tribute to their late colleague. But Democrats, including Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, want Trump to personally and forcefully endorse the bill rather than rely on a background statement from a White House official before the Senate moves forward.
Not everyone in the Republican Party is on board. Senator Rand Paul warned that penalising China and India over Russian oil purchases would cause major disruption to trade and pose serious risks to the global economy.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Honestly, I'm worried about the timing. We've already cut our Russian oil imports by almost 50% in a few months. Now they want to punish us even more? This looks like a bad joke. Sad to hear about Senator Graham but using his memory to push this bill is just politics. India needs to stand strong and diversify our energy sources immediately.
Jai Hind! 🇮🇳 We should not bow down to this pressure. Our foreign policy should be based on our national interest, not America's whims. Russia has been a reliable partner for decades. Why should we stop buying cheaper oil just because Washington says so? Time for India to strengthen ties with Russia and other allies. #IndiaFirst
As an American, I really hope the Senate doesn't pass this. It's pure bullying. India and China buying Russian oil is a market reality, not an act of war. This bill would hurt the global economy, including American consumers. Sen. Paul is right—this is dangerous. My Indian friends, I'm sorry. We're not all like this.
I support strong ties with the US but not at the cost of our sovereignty. We must maintain an independent foreign policy. And honestly, the hypocrisy—America buys oil from whoever they want but wants to control us? No thank you. Our government should engage diplomatically but refuse to be cowed. Stand tall, India. 🙏
This is a serious wake-up call. We've been too dependent on imports. We need to urgently boost our own oil production and invest in renewable energy. Solar, wind,
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