US Congress Passes Bill Granting Trump Powers to Sanction Russia's Crude Exports

The US Congress has passed a bill granting President Donald Trump sweeping powers to impose sanctions on Russia's crude exports and steep tariffs on buyers of Russian energy.

The 'Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026' targets Moscow's biggest customers, China and India, which buy about half and 37 percent of Russian crude oil exports, respectively.

Under the law, Trump can invoke the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on exports to the US from the top five purchasers of Russian energy, military equipment or countries facilitating Russian sanctions evasion.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs said New Delhi had raised concerns with the US and would work closely with trade and industry bodies to deal with the legislation's implications.