Trump Signs Russia Sanctions Bill, Opening Door to 100% Tariff on Indian Imports

On Friday, President Donald Trump put his signature on a sweeping sanctions package aimed at squeezing Russia over its war in Ukraine. Officially titled the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, the bill cleared both chambers of Congress – the Senate last month and the House this week by a 262‑159 vote.

The heart of the legislation is a new, broad‑brush authority that lets the executive impose tariffs of up to 100% on any country that continues to import Russian oil or natural gas. It’s not an automatic trigger, though; the President would have to invoke the power under a set of statutory conditions.

India and China are the biggest buyers of Russian crude outside Europe, so they quickly became the focus of the debate. For India, the law sketches a “statutory pathway” that could, if the President decides, see Indian goods hit with a full‑scale, 100% duty as a penalty for maintaining energy ties with Moscow.

There is a built‑in carve‑out, however. Nations that import less than 15% of Russia’s natural‑gas exports and can prove they’ve taken “substantial measures” to cut those purchases are exempted from the harshest provisions. That clause was clearly intended to protect smaller, less‑dependent economies.

At this stage, the bill itself does not slap any tariffs on India or any other country. It merely hands Washington a legal lever – a lever that could be pulled at any time, depending on how the geopolitical chessboard shifts.

Analysts say the move is as much about sending a political signal as it is about economic pressure. It tells Moscow that the U.S. is prepared to go beyond traditional sanctions, and it nudges countries like India to rethink their energy sourcing strategies.