The United States has unveiled a revised version of its bipartisan Russia sanctions bill, reducing the proposed tariff on countries importing Russian oil and natural gas from a blanket 500 per cent to a maximum of 100 per cent. The move is expected to provide some relief to major buyers of Russian energy, including India and China, while still maintaining economic pressure on Moscow over its ongoing war in Ukraine.
The updated legislation would authorise US President Donald Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on the five largest importers of Russian oil and gas. It also introduces an exemption for countries that import less than 15 per cent of Russia’s natural gas exports and are actively reducing their dependence on Russian supplies. This provision could benefit countries such as Japan, France, Hungary and Belgium.
In addition to tariffs, the bill proposes sanctions targeting Russia’s shadow tanker fleet, key financial institutions, including the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, and major state-backed energy projects such as Yamal LNG and Arctic LNG. The legislation also gives the US president the authority to waive sanctions if doing so is deemed to be in the national interest.
According to Senate aides, the revisions were made after months of negotiations to secure broader political support. President Trump has expressed confidence that the bill will pass Congress, while lawmakers say the revised measure aims to increase pressure on Russia without placing excessive strain on global trade and energy markets.