The United States, the world’s leading power, continues to seek dominance over global affairs, wanting to retain its role as the world’s “big brother.” In pursuit of this, it has shown no hesitation in imposing sanctions on countries that maintain friendly ties with its adversaries — even taking the tough stance that its own allies must not trade with its rivals. Critics note the apparent double standard: America justifies its own actions as upholding justice while branding similar actions by other countries as war crimes. Even as the US defends its own strikes on Iran, it simultaneously condemns Russia’s attacks on Ukraine, and has now moved to impose sanctions on Russia — while also preparing to strike a blow simultaneously against Iran, China, and India, all of which maintain ties with Moscow.
In a significant development, the US House of Representatives has passed a bill granting President Trump the authority to impose steep tariffs on India and China over their continued trade with Russia, citing Russia’s attacks on Ukraine and Iran’s nuclear programme as justification for the sanctions. The “Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026,” which allows for tariffs of up to 100 percent on India, China, and other countries, was passed by the House. In the voting, 262 members voted in favour while 159 voted against; notably, those voting in favour included 203 Republicans along with 58 opposition Democrats. The bill is named after Lindsey Graham, a strong Trump supporter who was elected to Congress from South Carolina; Graham, who is known to have died in July, played a key role over the past year in building support for the bill before his passing.
There is widespread concern that, in the context of sanctions on Russia, the US could impose retaliatory tariffs of up to 100 percent on India and China as well. In effect, the bill hands the US president the authority to impose 100 percent tariffs on countries purchasing oil and gas from Russia — meaning countries trading with Russia would be required to pay additional duties on goods exported to the US. However, whether these tariffs will take effect immediately remains to be seen. India remains hopeful that if a first-phase bilateral trade agreement is reached between India and the US, the threat of these sanctions could be averted. Both India and China have reacted firmly to the bill’s passage. Chinese President Xi Jinping is reportedly set to make an official visit to the US later this month, adding further significance to the bill’s passage at this particular time. Amid India’s warnings that imposing sanctions on Russia and tariffs on itself would inevitably harm bilateral relations with the US, attention has turned to how Washington will respond.
Key Statements From India, China
Following the passage of the bill by the US House of Representatives, India issued a strong response. India’s Ministry of External Affairs stated that the energy security of its 1.4 billion citizens is of paramount importance, and that India would take all necessary steps to safeguard its trade and economic interests. The ministry noted that India has held several rounds of discussions with US representatives on this tariff burden in recent times. India expressed concern that the US decision could affect not only India-US bilateral relations but also the broader international energy market. China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Guo Jiakun, also responded to the development, stating clearly that China opposes any action lacking approval from the UN Security Council, adding that China will continue economic and trade cooperation with other countries on the basis of equality and mutual benefit.