US Senate amendment mandates 100% secondary tariffs on top five Russian oil importers, including India

Washington DC [US], September 15 (ANI): In a significant legislative move to curb funding for Moscow's military operations in Ukraine, a newly introduced Senate amendment to the "Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026", which was passed in August, mandates secondary tariffs of up to 100 per cent on goods imported from the top five largest buyers of Russian crude oil and natural gas, directly exposing major importers like India and China to massive trade levies.
The underlying legislation was passed by the US Senate on August 7, by an 86-11 vote to increase economic pressure on Russia and Iran.
The House Committee on Rules, amongst the oldest standing committees in the House, is currently processing the introduced Senate amendments.
The bill passed by the US Senate does not explicitly name Russia's trading partners, but specifically targets the five largest importers of Russian oil and gas by volume.
Section 113 of the statutory text of the amendment document outlines mandatory ad valorem trade duties.
"Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall, notwithstanding any other provision of law, increase the rate of duty for all goods imported into the United States from a country described in subsection (c) (and only from a country described in subsection (c)) to a rate of up to 100 percent ad valorem," the section read.
According to Section 113(c), a covered country is any foreign nation that "knowingly made new purchases of crude oil or natural gas that originated in the Russian Federation on a date that is on or after 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act; and was among the 5 largest importers, by total volume, of crude oil or natural gas that originated in the Russian Federation during the most recent 12-month period preceding the date of the enactment of this Act; or was among the top 5 countries facilitating Russian oil sanctions evasion during the most recent 12-month period preceding the date of the enactment of this Act."
As India remains among the largest buyers of Russian seaborne crude alongside China, it falls directly under this top five volume trigger.
Section 113(f) emphasises that any duty imposed under this section "shall be in addition to any other duty, fee, tax, exaction, or charge applicable with respect to the good."
The Amendment also states that the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is granted statutory authority under Section 113(b) to adjust duty rates between zero and 100 per cent if a country takes "significant steps to increase" or "to decrease or cease engaging in the importation, sale, supply, transfer, or purchase of such crude oil or natural gas."
Section 113(d) outlines a specific exception for natural gas, noting that duties will not apply if a country's natural gas imports from Russia were "less than 15 percent of the total annual exports of natural gas from the Russian Federation during that period" and the country has taken significant steps to reduce those imports.
However, no such exception is provided for major crude oil buyers.
Additionally, Section 115(a) provides executive authority for a waiver, stating that the US President may waive the "application of any sanctions provision with respect to a foreign person, any restriction with respect to a person, or any duty under this title." To grant a waiver, the President must submit a written certification to the US Congress confirming that the action is in the national interest of the United States.
Beyond tariffs on energy buyers, the Act institutes comprehensive measures against Russian leadership, financial institutions, and maritime networks.
The bill imposes blocking sanctions and visa revocations on top leadership—including the President, Prime Minister, Defence Minister, and military commanders of the Russian Federation—as well as foreign entities supplying items like CNC tools, lubricant additives, chemical coatings, advanced sensors, and fibre optic cables to Russia's defence industrial base. Furthermore, it targets Russia's "shadow fleet" by blocking foreign vessels and sanctioning foreign persons that transport Russian energy without adequate maritime insurance or evade price caps established by the Price Cap Coalition.
It also mandates severe financial prohibitions, blocking all property and restricting correspondent accounts for the Central Bank of Russia, Sberbank, VTB Bank, and Gazprombank, while penalising foreign financial institutions that engage in significant transactions with them. (ANI)