A U.S. Senate amendment to the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 would give the U.S. president authority to impose tariffs of up to 100% on imports from countries among the top five purchasers of Russian oil or gas, potentially exposing major Russian energy buyers such as India and China to punitive duties.
The Senate version does not automatically impose the tariffs, and the legislation remains subject to progress through the House of Representatives.
According to World Bank WITS data, India exported $16.5 million-worth of lubricating oil additives covered by HS Code 381121 to the United States in 2023, representing 5.78 million kilograms. India ranked seventh among exporters of the product to the U.S. that year. By 2024, those exports had increased to $25.7 million and 9.44 million kilograms.
The original legislation already specifically identifies lubricant additives among goods considered critical to Russia’s military-industrial capacitye, alongside CNC tools, nitrocellulose and associated inputs, chemical coatings, fiber-optic equipment and advanced sensors.
For lubricant additive suppliers, the significance is therefore broader than the potential tariff exposure on Indian exports to the U.S. The bill places lubricant additives directly within the legislation’s definition of industrial inputs that can be relevant to Russia’s defense production, linking the sector to the wider sanctions and trade restrictions being developed around Russian energy and industrial supply chains.