India is closely monitoring a US bill that proposes tariffs of up to 100 per cent on countries purchasing Russian oil and gas, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday, days after the legislation cleared the US Senate.
"We are closely monitoring the developments," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during the weekly media briefing.
On India's energy imports, Jaiswal reiterated that New Delhi's approach is guided by its national interests.
"On energy security, our position has been clarified and very well articulated on several occasions. It is something which is predicated on our national priorities and on securing the energy needs of our 1.4 billion people through diversified sources, which includes the US," he said.
Jaiswal added that India remains engaged with relevant stakeholders in the United States on the issue.
"We remain engaged with relevant stakeholders in the US at various levels on this particular matter," he said.
US SENATE PASSES RUSSIA SANCTION BILL
His remarks came after the US Senate passed the Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 by an 86-12 vote. The bill will now move to the House of Representatives for consideration.
The proposed legislation would authorise US President Donald Trump to impose primary and secondary sanctions on Russia and entities supporting its war in Ukraine. It also empowers the president to levy tariffs of up to 100 per cent on imports from countries that purchase large volumes of Russian oil or gas or help Moscow evade sanctions.
Under Section 113 of the bill, the five largest buyers of Russian fuel or countries facilitating sanctions evasion through shadow fleets could face the additional tariffs. Besides India and China, the list includes Slovakia, Hungary and Azerbaijan.
The legislation also requires the US Trade Representative to review the list of the top five purchasers every 180 days and adjust tariff rates based on changes in their purchasing behaviour.
