US President Donald Trump signed a new bill on Wednesday, allowing massive duties on countries that procure Russian petroleum products. Countries that import oil from Russia would be the hardest hit with the highest amount of tariffs. BRICS members China and India remain at the forefront of the tariffs, as they import the largest amount of oil from Russia.
The new bill, named ‘Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025,’ threatens at least 500% tariffs on countries that “knowingly engage in the exchange.” The bill is now headed for bipartisan approval in the Senate and will punish nations that “buy cheap Russian oil,” said US Senator Lindsey Graham. BRICS countries like China and India are now at risk of being slapped with 500% tariffs.
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BRICS Countries May Face 500% Tariffs Next: Trump’s Bill Gets Stricter on Russian Oil Procurement
While the new bill does not directly target BRICS, they are the sole contenders to receive a 500% tariffs. The bill states that Trump “must increase the rate of duty on all goods and services imported into the United States from countries that knowingly engage in the exchange of Russian-origin uranium and petroleum products to at least 500% relative to the value of such goods and services.” The move would shatter the BRICS alliance and wreak havoc on its import and export sectors.
The reasoning for the 500% tariffs, which could affect BRICS countries, is that the oil procurement helps Russia aid the war against Ukraine. “This bill will allow President Trump to punish those countries who buy cheap Russian oil, fueling Putin’s war machine. This bill would give President Trump tremendous leverage against countries like China, India, and Brazil to incentivize them to stop buying the cheap Russian oil that provides the financing for Putin’s bloodbath against Ukraine,” wrote Senator Lindsey Graham on X.