India is “closely monitoring” a US bill that could impose 100% tariff on Russian oil purchase. The proposed legislation cleared the Senate earlier this week — finding renewed bipartisan support after the death of Senator Lindsey Graham. The sanctions bill also comes at a time when New Delhi is negotiating the “final one percent” of a bilateral trade agreement with the United States.  

“We are aware of this development and are closely monitoring the situation. As you are well aware, our position on energy security has been clarified and articulated on several occasions,” reminded MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.

He noted that Indian officials remained engaged with their American counterparts at various levels on this matter. Jaiwal reiterated during a media briefing that the country was guided “by our national priorities and the need to secure the energy requirements of our 1.4 billion citizens through diversified sources”.

India to face 100% tariffs for Russian oil purchase?

The US Senate passed the Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 with a decisive 86-12 vote earlier this week — paving the way for further legislative review under the House of Representatives. The Act would grant US President Donald Trump broad executive authority to enforce primary and secondary sanctions against Moscow and supporting entities if it were enacted.

The proposed law additionally empowers the administration to enact trade duties reaching up to 100 per cent on goods imported from nations acquiring significant quantities of Russian hydrocarbons or assisting in circumvention efforts.

Pursuant to Section 113 of the proposed law, punitive duties could target the five major importers of Russian energy alongside nations enabling sanction evasions via shadow fleet operations. Besides India and China, the designated list encompasses Slovakia, Hungary, and Azerbaijan.

The draft statute further mandates the US Trade Representative to conduct biannual evaluations every 180 days to review top purchasing nations and calibrate applied tariff structures according to shifting procurement patterns.