US President Donald Trump has supported a Senate bill, proposed to impose tariffs (import duty) of up to 500% on countries continuing trade with Russia. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham gave information about this bill in an interview given to ABC News.
He said, ‘If you are buying goods from Russia and not helping Ukraine, then your products will be charged 500% in the US. India and China purchase 70% oil from Vladimir Putin, this is running Russia’s war machine.
Trump’s approval found in golf game
This controversial bill Lindsay Graham has prepared in collaboration with Democratic Senator Richard Bluementhal. It has got the support of 84 senators. It is expected that it will be introduced in the Senate in August.
According to Graham, Trump recently asked him to pursue the bill during a golf match. According to a Wall Street Journal report, the first Trump administration had told Graham that binding words like ‘Shall’ in the bill should be replaced with alternative words like ‘May’, so that its mandatory provisions can be weakened.
India and China will have a direct impact
If this law passes, it may have the biggest impact on India and China, as the two together buy 70% of Russia oil. The Indo-Russian bilateral trade reached a record $ 68.7 billion in 2024–25, while it was just $ 10.1 billion before Kovid. The main reason for this growth is India’s heavy import of Russian oil and other items. Both countries have targeted to take bilateral trade to $ 100 billion by 2030.
US administration warning
However, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that the Trump administration does not want to harm any widespread peace process in the resolve of Ukraine crisis. However, strict sanctions on Russia have not been rejected.
This proposed bill can not only have a profound impact on international trade, but can also increase geopolitical and economic challenges for countries like India.