To stop ‘Putin’s war machine’: US lawmaker to introduce Bill seeking 500% tariffs on India, China and Brazil
Several US lawmakers are preparing to introduce the Russia sanctions Bill in the Senate and House aiming to impose striking 500% tariffs on India, China and Brazil for buying cheap oil and gas from Russia. The move comes as US President Donald Trump’s efforts to bring to the Russia-Ukraine conflict fails to fulfill his demands. He recently urged NATO and other European countries to sanction China, to pressurise Russia for peace talks.
The Bill is not new as far as its details are concerned as US Senator Lindsey Graham had previously warned in July this year that India, China, and Brazil, all BRICS members could face sharp economic sanctions if they “keep buying cheap Russian oil.”
“I would tell China, India & Brazil. If you keep buying cheap Russian oil, to allow this war to continue, we will tariff the hell out of you,” he had said on Fox News.
Now he has announced that he will urge others to advance the Russia sanctions Bill in the House and Senate to impose 500% secondary tariffs on India, China and Brazil.
‘Standing with freedom against tyranny’
US Senator Lindsey Graham said that the recent statement from Trump on urging NATO nations to tariff India, China and Brazil highlighted the only way to stop “Putin’s war machine”. He said these countries are fuelling the war by buying cheap Russian oil and gas.
“We are very pleased to see such a strong statement from President Trump, urging America and Europe – primarily NATO nations – to simultaneously impose serious tariffs on China for propping up Putin’s war machine by buying cheap Russian oil and gas,” he said in an official statement.
“For months, we’ve worked together on legislation that would back up this strategy authorizing the President to levy significant tariffs on countries, like China, India, and Brazil, that continue to finance Putin by buying his cheap oil and gas. We strongly support President Trump’s call for joint action with Europe, and believe this is the right approach to bring maximum economic pressure to bear,” the statement further read.
.@LindseyGrahamSC with @RepBrianFitz announce that this week they will urge their colleagues in Senate & House to attach & advance the Russia sanctions Bill in House & Senate. This Bill if passed, will put 500% tariffs on India, China & Brazil. #tariffwar https://t.co/k6SO40Nbgh
— Rohit Sharma 🇺🇸🇮🇳 (@DcWalaDesi) September 13, 2025
Graham added that this week, they will consult their colleagues, both Democrats and Republicans, for bipartisan support. “There is overwhelming bipartisan support for empowering President Trump to use strong tariffs as a tool to help end this war,” he claimed.
The US lawmaker maintained that the combination of sanctions and tariffs, along with the sale of high-end American weapons to Ukraine, “is the key to bringing Putin to the table for a just and honorable peace”.
“Time is of the essence. We urge our colleagues to consider attaching this legislation to the CR. This is more than a matter of policy—it is a test of resolve. The free world must act, and America must lead,’” he concluded.
India-US ties
Trump imposed 25% tariffs on India initially and later levied a 25% penalty for buying Russian oil. In the past few weeks, he repeatedly targeted Indians and its economy. He went on to blame New Delhi for backing Moscow’s action against Kyiv. India exposed the US and EU’s hypocrisy by stating that they too continue business with Russia in their choice of domain and India will continue to engage in the manner that helps its people and economy.
Reports also claimed that slow progress of a trade deal with the US and India’s tough stance on some industries infuriated Trump, leading to a 50% tariffs.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently attacked the “selfish” economic policies, saying that India will stand tall against anything that impacts its economy.
‘Sanctions would only complicate things’: China
Meanwhile, China said that wars cannot solve problems and sanctions would only complicate them, hinting at a bitter trade war if sanctioned. Speaking at a press conference in Ljubljana on Saturday after meeting Slovenia’s Deputy PM and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, “China does not participate in or plan wars, and what China does is to encourage peace talks and promote political settlement of hotspot issues through dialogue.”
He called on to promote multilateralism, strengthen multilateral mechanisms and jointly safeguard the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.
“China and Europe should be friends rather than rivals, and should cooperate rather than confront each other. Making the right choices amid the greatest changes in a century demonstrates the responsibilities that both sides should fulfill towards history and the people”, he added in a veiled reference at Trump’s proposal that NATO impose tariffs of 50 per cent to 100 per cent on China.