Washington, D.C., USA – The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday passed legislation targeting Russia’s energy sector, individuals, and “shadow fleet” of tankers, including authorising the U.S. President to impose tariffs of up to 100% on India and other countries for buying oil and gas from Russia. The House voted 262-159 in favour of the Bill, which will now be sent to President Donald Trump for his signature and could result in significant U.S. tariffs on India.
The Bill comes as New Delhi and Washington have been negotiating a preliminary trade deal, with India also increasing its purchase of Russian oil compared to last year. The President will have the authority, under the legislation, to waive sanctions in the national interest. Countries that would be potential targets for the tariff are the top five “largest importers, by total volume” of Russian-origin crude oil or natural gas in the 12 months preceding the date of enactment, and that have knowingly made new purchases of Russian crude oil after 30 days from the date the Bill becomes law. A country among the top five “facilitating Russian oil sanctions evasion” would also be eligible.
A House amendment proposed by Democrat Steny Hoyer that sought to name the top 10 importers—China, India, Turkiye, Azerbaijan, Hungary, Slovakia, the UAE, and the Kyrgyz Republic—had not passed into the final version. New Delhi’s import of Russian oil hit an 11-month high in April this year following the U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran. Earlier, India had cut back on purchases, hitting a 38-month low in December 2025. The Trump administration had announced an additional 25%, on top of an existing 25%, tariff on India for the purchase of Russian energy.
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The Bill, named for prominent Ukraine supporter Lindsey O. Graham—who died suddenly on July 11 this year—had passed the Senate 86-11 on August 7. Several prominent Democrats like Elizabeth Warren and those caucusing with Democrats like Bernie Sanders, as well as some Republicans such as Rand Paul, had opposed the Bill, concerned over the sweeping powers it would give the President or the cost it would impose on Americans. The Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Gregory Meeks, criticised the Bill. “We cannot grant the President more tariff power that, we know, he will abuse,” Meeks said, adding that it would cost at least $3,000 per American family, assuming Trump restricted tariffs on the top five importers of Russian oil.
