The US House of Representatives on Wednesday advanced a bill that could allow tariffs of up to 100% to be imposed on India and four other countries over their purchases of Russian energy, setting up a final vote on the controversial legislation on Thursday.

The bill faced opposition from members of both parties, with the vote to advance it passing by a narrow 214-211 margin. A final vote on Thursday is widely expected to result in the passage of the Russia sanctions bill, persons aware of the matter told HT.

Bill could impose 100% tariffs on India

The Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act 2026 would give the Trump administration the authority to impose tariffs of up to 100% on the five largest purchasers of Russian oil or natural gas. 

Senators have clarified that the tariffs would currently target China, India, Slovakia, Hungary and Azerbaijan over their oil purchases.

The legislation would also allow tariffs on the five countries doing the most to help Russia evade existing sanctions. The exact tariff rate for each country would be determined by the US Trade Representative.

Senate passed bill with overwhelming majority

The bill passed the US Senate in August with an overwhelming majority, following more than a year of negotiations and debate.

The death of US senator Lindsey Graham, a veteran legislator and close Trump ally, provided a filip to the bill’s prospects, with members of both Trump’s Republican Party and the opposition Democratic Party backing the legislation.

However, the bill encountered significant opposition in the House.

Democratic lawmakers objected to giving President Donald Trump greater authority to impose tariffs on US trading partners, while some Republicans raised concerns about the potential impact of sanctions on domestic energy prices.

House vote came sooner than expected

By last week, a vote on the legislation was widely expected to be delayed until after the midterm elections.

The House Republican leadership had decided to cut the current legislative session short by two weeks, giving lawmakers more time to campaign ahead of the elections.

The bill was unexpectedly advanced for a vote this week. On Monday, the House Rules Committee cleared a key procedural hurdle, allowing the legislation to move towards a vote.

Final vote on Thursday

Sources told HT that enough Republicans and Democrats had backed the measure for it to clear Wednesday’s procedural vote.

The legislation is now set for a final vote on Thursday.

Source: Hindustan Times

--Agencies