Cong seeks Piyush Goyal's clarification on US proposing 100% tariffs on India

The Congress on Wednesday sought a clarification from Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal over a US bill proposing 100 per cent tariffs on India for purchasing Russian oil, claiming the country was being "humiliated" by the threat of punitive action.

A bipartisan group of US senators has unveiled a bill seeking to impose 100 per cent tariffs on five countries, including India and China, over their purchases of oil from Russia.

The bill, brokered by the late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, exempts 15 European countries that buy Russian gas from the proposed tariffs. It argues that their purchases account for a fraction of their total requirements and that the countries concerned are taking steps to reduce their dependence on Moscow.

Congress media and publicity department head Pawan Khera sought a response from Goyal over the proposed measure.

"Piyush Goyal, who is quick to dismiss reports that India is holding out for a better trade deal with the US, should clarify this. These aren't House Democrats. These are Republican Senators -- backed by Trump himself -- demanding 100 per cent tariffs on India and four other countries for buying Russian oil," Khera said.

"Imagine the humiliation: needing Trump's approval to buy Russian oil, and now being threatened with punitive tariffs for doing exactly that," he said in a post on X.

Apart from India and China, Slovakia, Hungary and Azerbaijan are among the countries that could face the proposed tariffs.

If passed, the bill would mark the first time the US Congress explicitly authorises the use of tariffs as a geopolitical tool aimed at penalising countries accused of financing another nation's war effort.