The updated sanctions bill, one of whose authors was Senator Lindsey Graham, who died a few days ago, will allow the US President to impose duties of up to 100% on the five largest buyers of Russian oil and natural gas, primarily China and India. About this He writes The Wall Street Journal, citing sources.
According to the document, duties could be imposed on countries and against individuals who facilitate the supply of Russian energy resources. The decision to impose tariffs will be made solely by the President of the United States.
Reuters explains that the five largest buyers of Russian oil are China, India, Slovakia, Hungary and Azerbaijan, and Russian natural gas – China, France, Japan, Hungary and Belgium. Meanwhile, the new version of the bill He provides An exception is made for countries that import less than 15% of the Russian natural gas they consume and that take important steps to reduce these imports. This could exempt Japan, France, Hungary and Belgium from tariffs.
The draft law also provides for sanctions on Russian defense, energy and financial institutions, and the Russian shadow fleet.
If the bill is approved, it would be the first time Congress has authorized the use of tariffs as a geopolitical weapon — they have previously been used as a tool to combat unfair trade policies, say analysts interviewed by The Wall Street Journal.
Reuters describes the new version of the draft penal code as “watered down.” The original version, introduced in April 2025, stipulated a 500% tariff on imports into the United States from countries that buy Russian oil and gas.