US Senate Advances Revised Russia Sanctions Bill With 100% Tariff Threat

The United States Senate on July 14, 2026, unveiled an updated version of the Sanctioning Russia Act, a bipartisan bill led by the late Senator Lindsey Graham and backed by Republican and Democratic lawmakers. The revised legislation would allow President Donald Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100% on the top five buyers of Russian oil and natural gas.

The updated bill limits potential "secondary tariffs" to Russia's five largest energy buyers, significantly narrowing the scope from the original proposal introduced in April 2025, which included the possibility of broad 500% tariffs on third-party buyers of Russian energy.

Under the revised legislation, the 100% tariffs would apply as secondary tariffs on all goods and services imported from targeted countries. The measure is designed to pressure countries purchasing Russian energy and provide Trump with additional leverage in efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war, which has continued for five years.

The bill also includes a new provision allowing Trump to waive sanctions if he determines that doing so is in the US national interest.

Revised Bill Narrows Tariff Scope On Russian Energy Buyers

The latest version represents a major adjustment from the original proposal.

The initial bill would have allowed sweeping tariffs of up to 500% on countries purchasing Russian oil and gas. The revised version reduces the maximum tariff level to 100% and limits the measure to the five largest buyers of Russian energy.

According to Senate aides, the top five buyers of Russian crude oil are China, India, Slovakia, Hungary and Azerbaijan. The main importers of Russian natural gas are China, France, Japan, Hungary and Belgium.

The legislation also provides exceptions for countries that import less than 15% of their natural gas supplies from Russia and are taking significant steps to reduce their reliance on Russian energy. The provision could allow Japan, France, Hungary and Belgium to qualify for exemptions.

Graham's Final Push To Advance The Sanctions Bill

The bill's sponsor, Senator Lindsey Graham, died suddenly last Saturday, one day after announcing during a visit to Ukraine that he had reached an agreement with Trump to advance the legislation.

The bill was first introduced in April 2025 and had remained stalled for more than a year before the latest revisions.

A Senate aide said the legislation currently has 26 co-sponsors, with more expected to join within hours. The aide expressed optimism that the bill could move forward.

Trump also described the bill as a tribute to Graham and said there was a strong chance it would be completed.

"This is for Lindsey Graham. This was his thing. This is what he wanted most. You know how he felt about it, and there is a very good chance it gets done," Trump said.

Trump May Add Iran And Hezbollah Measures

Trump said earlier on Tuesday at the White House that he may seek to add sanctions targeting Iran and Hezbollah to the legislation.

"If we add those measures, it would be a very big thing," Trump told reporters.

The president said he was optimistic that the bill could pass and eventually become law.

New Sanctions Target Russian Shadow Fleet And Energy Projects

Beyond energy-related tariffs, the revised sanctions package would also target Russia's "shadow fleet" of oil tankers that operate independently of Western maritime services.

The bill would impose sanctions on Russian financial institutions, including the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, as well as major state-owned Russian energy projects, including the Yamal LNG project and Arctic LNG 1, Arctic LNG 2 and Arctic LNG 3 projects.

Previous Secondary Tariff Applied Only To India

The United States has previously used secondary tariffs against India over purchases of Russian oil.

In August 2025, Trump imposed an additional 25% secondary tariff on India for buying Russian oil. On February 6, 2026, Trump signed an executive order stating that India had committed to ending direct and indirect imports of Russian oil, while also agreeing to purchase US energy products and expand defense cooperation.

In return, the United States removed the 25% punitive tariff.

So far, India remains the only country against which the United States has imposed such secondary tariffs.

The Sanctioning Russia Act must pass the House of Representatives and receive presidential approval before becoming law.