100% Tariffs Target China and India: U.S. Sanctions Against Russia Enter a New "Punishing Buyers" Phase

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the "Lindsey Graham Act on Sanctioning Russia and Iran for 2026" late on September 16 local time, with 262 votes in favor and 159 opposed. This bill, initiated by the late Senator Lindsey Graham, will now be sent to Trump for signature. Key provisions of the legislation include:

1. Empowers the President to impose tariffs of up to 100% on goods exported to the United States from the world’s top five importers of Russian oil and gas (oil buyers include China, India, Slovakia, Hungary, Azerbaijan; gas buyers include China, France, Japan, Hungary, Belgium; the list will be updated every 180 days).

2. Grants authority for the President to impose tariffs of up to 500% on goods imported from Russia.

3. For the first time, includes Russia’s "shadow fleet" as a target of sanctions.

4. Expands sanctions authority against Iran’s weapons and energy sectors, as requested by Trump, and extends the Iran Sanctions Act through 2031.

5. Countries importing less than 15% of their total natural gas from Russia and actively taking measures to reduce such imports may apply for exemption—Japan, France, and Belgium largely meet these criteria.

6. The 100% tariff will not take effect automatically; the President will determine the specific rate (not exceeding 100%) and exemptions. Democrats express concern that this concentration of power could be used to target allies.

The sanctions list groups NATO allies (Slovakia, Hungary) alongside China and India—essentially using it as a political lever to punish non-compliance. Trump is likely to selectively implement this measure as a bargaining chip rather than enforce it universally. Trump has already stated his intention to sign the bill. What truly warrants attention is not the bill itself, but whether the U.S. and Europe will simultaneously impose secondary sanctions on buyers of Russian oil—if such coordination occurs, global energy trade could face systemic fragmentation.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1876539367986188/

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