Now Reading: US Senate bill threatens 100% tariffs on Indian goods over Russian oil
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US Senate bill threatens 100% tariffs on Indian goods over Russian oil
The US Senate has passed a bill allowing up to 100% additional tariffs on goods exported to America by countries that buy Russian oil or gas and rank among the five largest buyers. India is not named but its scale of Russian crude purchases places it within the formula, Hindustan Times reports. The bill preserves waivers for limited imports of Russian enriched uranium, and lets the President waive any duty in the US national interest. The bill is not yet law.
FPIF reports that India has already yielded to US pressure. It says imports of Russian oil fell from 1.7 million barrels per day in 2025 to 1.2 million by February 2026, a 39% cut, after the US-India trade deal. India also committed to buying $500 billion of US energy and goods over five years. FPIF states Russia scrapped its $13-per-barrel discount and charged a $4-5 premium after India folded, and that fuel costs have soared.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Hindustan Times frames the bill as a structural challenge to India's autonomy, noting that even the US exempts its own Russian uranium imports, while FPIF portrays India as already having surrendered its strategic independence. Hindustan Times understates the concrete trade deal concessions, while FPIF overstates the domestic fuel crisis with anecdotal evidence. The measured read is that India faces genuine leverage from multiple powers but the trade deal and oil cut are real constraints, not a total surrender. Watch for whether the Senate bill becomes law and how India's crude sourcing shifts in coming months.
Coverage: 2 sources, 1 government-critical, 1 neutral
Sources (2): hindustantimes.com (neutral report), fpif.org (government critical)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above. Methodology and corrections.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
