Tariffs of up to 100% on the five biggest buyers of Russian oil and natural gas: that is what a revised Russia sanctions bill would let the U.S. president impose, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources. China and India are named chief among the likely targets. The measure was co-authored by Senator Lindsey Graham, who died several days before the report.
The tariffs could also be aimed at private individuals who help supply Russian energy. Whether to use them would be the president’s decision alone.
Who buys what
Reuters listed the five largest purchasers of Russian oil as China, India, Slovakia, Hungary and Azerbaijan. For natural gas, the list is China, France, Japan, Hungary and Belgium.
The updated text carves out an exemption. Countries that take less than 15% of the natural gas they consume from Russia, and are making significant efforts to cut that share, would be spared. That could cover Japan, France, Hungary and Belgium. The bill also calls for sanctions against Russian defense, energy and financial organizations, and against Russia’s shadow fleet.
A new use for tariffs
Analysts who spoke to the Journal said passage would be the first time Congress has authorized tariffs as a geopolitical weapon. Until now, they said, tariffs were used to counter unfair trade practices. The Journal’s headline framing, as relayed by Meduza, is that the “sanctions” bill is really a tariffs bill, and some Democrats worry it gives President Donald Trump a trade weapon rather than a blow to Moscow.
Reuters described the new version as “watered down.” The original bill, introduced in April 2025, would have put 500% tariffs on U.S. imports from countries that buy Russian oil and gas.
