A sanctions bill that would allow tariffs of up to 100% on countries importing Russian energy has cleared the U.S. Congress. If President Donald Trump signs it, the measure is expected to deal a heavy blow to China, India and other buyers of Russian crude.
The U.S. House of Representatives approved the bill 262-159 on the 16th. It would permit tariffs of as much as 100% on goods exported to the United States by countries that import Russian oil and natural gas. A White House official said Trump would sign the bill soon to complete the legislative process.
The core aim of the new sanctions is to tie up a large part of the funding for Russia's war, which has dragged on for more than four years since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The United States is directly targeting the "shadow fleet," a group of tankers that evades Western sanctions and plays a significant role in generating war revenue for Moscow. Sanctions on Iran, a strategic ally of Russia, are also extended through 2031. The Wall Street Journal reported that Washington plans to broadly tighten sanctions on Russia's energy and defense industries as well as on senior Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin.
Despite bitter partisan clashes on issue after issue, the new Russia sanctions bill passed on a bipartisan consensus that stronger pressure is needed to end the war.
Once in force, the bill is expected to hit China, which accounts for more than 50% of Russian energy exports, along with India and Turkey. Countries that import smaller volumes of Russian energy, including Japan, France and Hungary, could also be affected. Rep. Michael McCaul, a Texas Republican who introduced the bill, said it would drag Putin to the table for talks to end the war in Ukraine and could also serve as a tool of pressure on China.
After news of the bill's passage, India's Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement that the issue of sanctions on buyers of Russian oil had been discussed at high levels with various U.S. officials in recent months, and stressed that India would continue on that course, including by diversifying its sources of energy supply.
