Washington: US President Donald Trump has signed into law a sweeping sanctions package targeting Russia, giving the administration additional powers to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on major buyers of Russian oil and natural gas, including India and China.
The legislation, formally titled the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, was signed on September 18, two days after it cleared the US House of Representatives by a 262-159 vote. The US Senate had approved the measure 86-11 in August.
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The new law expands sanctions targeting Russian officials, financial institutions, energy interests and the country’s so-called shadow fleet of tankers used to transport oil while attempting to circumvent existing restrictions. It also gives the US president authority to impose tariffs on major foreign purchasers of Russian energy.
India and China are among the countries that could be affected because of their significant purchases of Russian crude oil. The legislation allows tariffs of up to 100 per cent to be imposed on the five largest purchasers of Russian oil or natural gas, subject to provisions and presidential discretion under the law.
The measure is aimed at reducing the revenues available to Moscow to finance its war against Ukraine. It also extends existing US sanctions relating to Iran for five years.
The legislation was named in honour of the late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a prominent supporter of stronger measures against Russia. Graham died in July after returning from a visit to Ukraine.
The law’s tariff provisions give the Trump administration a new mechanism to pressure countries that continue to purchase Russian energy, potentially creating wider implications for global trade and energy markets.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)
