India could soon face renewed trade pressure from the United States as four US senators announced an agreement with the Trump administration to move forward legislation targeting countries that continue importing Russian energy.

The development comes at a time when global crude oil prices have been rising following renewed hostilities between the United States and Iran, along with US President Donald Trump’s announcement that the ceasefire with Tehran is over.

US lawmakers push updated Russia sanctions

Republican senators Lindsey Graham and Roger Wicker, along with Democratic senators Richard Blumenthal and Jeanne Shaheen, said they had reached an understanding with the Trump administration to advance an updated version of the sanctions Bill.

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In a joint statement, the senators were quoted as saying by Hindustan Times, “We are proud to announce that we have reached an agreement with the Trump administration to move our updated Russia sanctions legislation forward. We are very pleased with this significant progress and expect to roll out the legislation very soon.”

The joint statement issued by the senators | X@LindseyGrahamSC
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They also argued that Russia’s continued attacks on civilians require a coordinated response from both the executive and legislative branches. According to the lawmakers, countries purchasing Russian oil and natural gas are helping finance Moscow’s war efforts and should face significant consequences.

What the proposed Bill includes

The lawmakers are among the strongest supporters of the Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025. The proposed legislation seeks to impose US tariffs on goods and service exports from countries buying Russian-origin oil, natural gas, uranium and petroleum products.

The original version of the Bill proposed a 500 per cent tariff on such countries. Earlier, Senator Richard Blumenthal had described the proposed tariff as “bone-crushing”.

The legislation also includes a provision allowing the US President to grant a 180-day waiver if exempting a country is considered to be in the national security interests of the United States.

While reports suggest the tariff provisions have since been softened, the final version of the updated legislation has not yet been released.

India among countries under scrutiny

India has been specifically mentioned by supporters of the proposed legislation. In June 2025, Senator Lindsey Graham wrote on X, “To China and India: if you continue to prop up Putin’s war machine, you’ll have nobody to blame but yourself.”

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India continued importing Russian crude after the US Treasury issued a general licence during the US-Iran conflict, allowing purchases without attracting American sanctions. That licence expired on June 17.

The proposed legislation currently has the backing of 84 co-sponsors in the US Senate and has gained momentum after Trump said he was considering it as a way to pressure Russia into negotiations over the Ukraine war.

FAQs:

Why could India face a new US tariff threat?

A proposed US sanctions Bill targets countries that continue purchasing Russian energy.

Does the bill automatically impose a 500% tariff on India?

No. The legislation has not been passed, and the final tariff provisions are yet to be made public.