US lawmakers move amendment to Russia sanctions bill, target India, others with 100% tariff threat

India has been named in a new amendment to a Russia Sanctions Bill in the US, putting it among 10 countries that could face 100 per cent tariff on their trade in Russian oil. The move comes as the Bill moves through the House of Representatives with only days left before a scheduled recess, and it marks a clear shift from the Senate-passed version, which avoided naming any country outright and relied instead on a general description that stopped short of pointing directly at India.

If the amendment survives the House process, this would be the first time India appears by name in the text of the bill, rather than being folded into a broader category. How India ended up on the list The amendment, naming India, comes from Democratic Congressman Steny Hoyer. It lists the following countries as eligible for the 100 per cent duties: China India Turkiye Azerbaijan Hungary Slovak Republic UAE Singapore Kazakhstan Kyrgyz Republic The Senate version, passed on August 7, avoided naming countries and referred only to "the five largest importers of oil and gas by volume".

The description was earlier widely understood to include India and China without naming them directly. Why the amendment The wider legislation, called the Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, passed the Senate by a vote of 86 to 11 last month and is now before the House of Representatives, which has four working days left before an early recess ahead of the mid-term elections on November 3.

Also read US Russia sanctions bill: The proposed 100% tariff and what it could mean for India The bill aims to place sanctions on Russia's leaders and energy sector, as well as on the ships Washington says help Moscow get around existing oil sanctions. US officials say revenue from Russian oil trade helps fund the war in Ukraine.

The bill would give President Donald Trump the power to place 100 per cent tariff on Russia's largest oil trading partners, including India. Other lawmakers push back on tariff powers Not all lawmakers support the tariff plan. Democratic congressman Gregory Meeks has moved an amendment to remove Section 113 from the bill entirely the section that would give the President broad power to place tariffs on countries trading with Russia.

Three other lawmakers have joined his amendment. Meeks has also proposed letting the President pause sanctions on a person for 90 days at a time, renewable, where doing so is judged necessary for US national security. In a separate amendment, he has proposed USD 15 billion in direct loans to Ukraine for defence equipment and services.

Also read US Senate clears Russia sanctions bill: India among top countries facing 100% tariffs The House Rules Committee released all the amendments on Monday. The House has not yet voted on the bill, so India's position is not yet settled. Whether India is named directly, covered only by a general description, or left off the tariff list altogether will depend on which amendments survive the House process before the bill can go to the president for signature. (With inputs from PTI)