Trump backs 500% tariffs on Russia trade supporters
US President Donald Trump has endorsed a bill proposing 500% tariffs targeting countries that continue to trade with Russia despite the war in Ukraine.
The announcement was made on Sunday, June 30, by the bill's co-author, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, during an interview with the American television station ABC, according to DW.
"Yesterday, for the first time, the President told me, when we were playing golf together, that it was time to move forward with the bill," Graham stated. According to him, the document's review will begin "after the July recess," which is after the US Independence Day celebrations. Congressional work is expected to resume on July 7.
Graham pushes for tariffs against India and China
"If you're buying Russian goods and not helping Ukraine, then there will be a 500% tariff on your goods coming into the U.S. India and China buy 70% of Putin's oil, thereby fueling his war machine. My bill is supported by 84 senators. It will empower the President to impose sanctions on India, China, and other countries to stop them from sponsoring Putin's war machine, to bring them to the negotiating table," Graham explained.
He believes passing the bill would give Trump "a tool he doesn't have now." The senator avoided directly answering whether the President would sign the bill, stating only that "it's in good shape."
It's worth noting that as early as April 1, a bipartisan group of 50 US senators, led by Graham and Democrat Richard Blumenthal, introduced a bill proposing new sanctions against Russia if it refused a ceasefire in Ukraine. That document suggested a 500% tariff on US imports from countries buying oil, gas, uranium, and other products from Russia.
The bill's authors had asserted that the new sanctions enjoyed majority support in both the Senate (Upper House) and the House of Representatives (Lower House) of the US Congress.
On May 19, Trump, after a discussion with Vladimir Putin, refused to introduce new sanctions against Russia, despite a ceasefire in Ukraine not being achieved.
Also, since early April, Trump had previously attempted to introduce tariffs of up to 50% against US trading partners. Many of these countries imposed retaliatory taxes. Subsequently, the Republican froze most of the restrictions and began trade negotiations with the authorities of these nations.
Previously, Graham and Blumenthal have proposed joint bills concerning Russia. In September 2022 and June 2024, they proposed recognizing the Russian Federation as a state sponsor of terrorism. In March 2025, they called for the confiscation of over $300 billion in frozen Russian assets and their transfer to Ukraine. All these initiatives have not gained traction.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
