- The US House advanced a bill imposing up to 100% tariffs on India and four countries
- The bill targets top buyers of Russian oil to cut revenue funding Russia's war in Ukraine
- Trump would have authority to set or waive tariff rates, reviewed every 180 days
The US House of Representatives has moved a bill imposing tariffs of up to 100% on India and four other countries forward for a final vote tomorrow, on Thursday.
The legislation, formally called the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, targets the top five buyers of Russian oil and gas — India, China, Azerbaijan, Hungary and Slovakia.
It would grant Trump the authority to impose duties of up to 100% on goods from these countries, aimed at cutting off revenue that funds Russia's war effort in Ukraine.
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The House Rules Committee advanced the bill on Monday, rejecting a Democratic amendment that sought to explicitly name India and China as tariff targets. A separate amendment by Congressman Gregory Meeks, seeking to strike the broad tariff authority altogether, was also not adopted.
The bill cleared the Senate on August 7 with strong bipartisan backing, in an 86-11 vote. It now heads to a floor vote in the House, which has only a handful of working days left before its recess.
Crucially, the 100% figure is a ceiling, not an automatic levy.
Under the bill's provisions, Trump and the US Trade Representative would decide the actual tariff rate for each country, with the President retaining the power to waive it entirely. The list of affected countries would also be reviewed every 180 days.
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India has repeatedly defended its Russian oil purchases as a matter of energy security, with Russian crude accounting for close to half its crude imports through parts of 2026.
The renewed tariff threat comes months after Washington first imposed a 25% punitive levy on India in August 2025 over the issue, which was later folded into a broader 50% duty before the US Supreme Court struck down the underlying emergency powers in February.
Business groups, including the US Chamber of Commerce and the National Retail Federation, have warned that the expanded tariff authority could raise costs for American consumers and strain supply chains, even as Republican supporters argue it is necessary to pressure Moscow's energy revenues.
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