Russia Sanctions Bill Hits Roadblock Over Tariff Concerns

A long-awaited Russia sanctions bill faces an uncertain future in Congress due to concerns over new trade powers granted to President Donald Trump. The bill, championed by late Senator Lindsey Graham, would impose sanctions on Russian officials and authorize 100% tariffs on the five largest importers of Russian crude oil or gas.

Democrats and some Republicans are unhappy about a provision that would let Trump impose steep tariffs on countries deemed to be facilitating sanctions evasion. Those countries are not specified in the bill but could include China, India, and potentially some European countries and Japan.

The tariff provisions became more important to the White House after the US Supreme Court struck down Trump's 'reciprocal' tariffs in February. The bill would also allow the president to waive sanctions for unspecified national security reasons, a provision opposed by pro-Ukraine Democrats due to Trump's shifting views on Russia and Ukraine.

Some lawmakers believe it's better to wait until Democrats have more power over the legislation, which could pass the Senate but faces bigger challenges in the House of Representatives. Senior Democrats have lined up to oppose the bill, citing concerns that granting Trump new tariff powers could fuel US inflation.