US Revises Russia Sanctions Bill, Lowers Proposed Tariffs on Energy Importers

New Delhi, July 15, 2026 The United States has unveiled a revised version of its bipartisan Russia sanctions bill, signalling a calibrated approach to increasing pressure on Moscow while balancing global trade interests. The updated proposal reduces the previously suggested blanket tariff on countries importing Russian energy and continues to focus on limiting Russia's economic strength amid the ongoing Ukraine conflict. If approved, the legislation would empower US President Donald Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100% on major buyers of Russian oil and natural gas, including India and China. The revised bill lowers the proposed tariff on third-party importers of Russian energy from 500% to a maximum of 100% for the largest purchasers. It also introduces an exemption for countries importing less than 15% of Russia's natural gas exports, provided they are making significant efforts to reduce those imports, a provision that could benefit Japan, France, Hungary and Belgium. Alongside tariffs, the measure targets Russian officials, the country's shadow tanker fleet, the Central Bank of the Russian Federation and major state-owned energy projects, while also allowing the US president to waive sanctions if they are considered to be in the national interest. US lawmakers believe the proposed sanctions would increase economic pressure on Russia to end its prolonged war in Ukraine. China, India, Slovakia, Hungary and Azerbaijan remain among the largest buyers of Russian crude oil, while China, France, Japan, Hungary and Belgium are leading importers of Russian natural gas. Lawmakers have also acknowledged that imposing tariffs on these countries could have implications for existing US trade ties, particularly with China and India. Before his death last week, Senator Lindsey Graham had announced that he had reached an agreement with President Donald Trump to move the legislation forward. Senate aides said the bill had secured 26 co-sponsors and expressed confidence about its progress after months of negotiations. Trump said sanctions on Iran and Hezbollah could also be added to the legislation, calling it a "very big thing" if those measures were included. He also said, "This is in honor of Lindsey. This was his thing. He wanted this more than anything. You know how he felt, and there's a good chance that it gets done." Senator Richard Blumenthal, however, urged lawmakers to proceed with the current version, saying, "With all due respect to the president, he has approved this bill, and we should move forward with this bill rather than opening it, in my view, to other potential targets." The revised legislation now heads forward with bipartisan backing as Washington continues to explore stronger economic measures against Russia.