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Three hurdles block US Russia sanctions bill targeting India
The US Senate has passed a Russia sanctions bill that could impose tariffs of up to 100% on India, China, and three other countries for buying Russian energy. But the bill faces…
The Story in Brief
The US Senate has passed a Russia sanctions bill that could impose tariffs of up to 100% on India, China, and three other countries for buying Russian energy. But the bill faces three obstacles before it can reach President Donald Trump. The House of Representatives is on recess until August 31, a likely September vote may clash with a planned Trump-Xi summit on September 24, and a coalition of House Democrats and at least one senior Republican wants to strip the tariff powers entirely.
An amendment by senators Rand Paul and Ron Wyden to remove tariff provisions failed but won 32 votes, signalling strong bipartisan opposition. If the House amends the bill, it must return to the Senate for identical passage. The legislation adds a new tariff layer on Indian purchases of Russian energy, separate from the penalties already addressed in India-US interim trade talks. New Delhi did not comment.
The Indian Opinion
The breathless coverage of this bill misses the real story: it is far from becoming law. Pundits talk as if 100% tariffs on India are imminent, while the House calendar and bipartisan opposition make passage uncertain at best. The test to watch is whether the Paul-Wyden coalition, which already commands 32 Senate votes, can force the tariff provisions out. If they succeed, India dodges a bullet. If not, New Delhi's trade negotiators have a clear signal: settle the interim deal before November.
Sources (2): hindustantimes.com, timesnownews.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
