By Bosphorus News Geopolitics Desk
Türkiye was included in a proposed U.S. tariff list targeting buyers of Russian energy, but the amendment was blocked before reaching the House floor. The Senate text still contains criteria that could expose major Russian oil and gas customers to additional U.S. duties of up to 100 percent.
The House took up the Senate amendments to H.R. 5334 on Sept. 16. Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas moved for the House to concur in them. At the end of debate, the chair announced that the ayes had prevailed by voice vote, but House Foreign Affairs Committee ranking member Gregory Meeks requested the yeas and nays and further proceedings were postponed.
H.R. 5334 includes the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026. Section 113 covers countries meeting tests tied to Russian crude oil and natural gas purchases or Russian oil sanctions evasion. Türkiye is not named in the Senate text.
Türkiye Appeared on Proposed Tariff List
Democratic Reps. Steny Hoyer of Maryland and Marcy Kaptur of Ohio submitted an amendment that would have written an initial country list into Section 113. It named China, India, Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Hungary, Slovakia, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan as initially eligible for duties of up to 100 percent.
The list did not reach the House floor. During House Rules Committee consideration on Sept. 14, Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts moved to make the Hoyer-Kaptur amendment eligible for consideration, but the motion failed 3-7. McGovern also moved to allow consideration of a separate amendment sponsored by Meeks and five other Democrats that would have struck Section 113's secondary-tariff authority. That motion also failed 3-7.
The House approved H. Res. 1530 by 214-211 on Sept. 15, setting the procedure for consideration of the Senate amendments. The vote was procedural and was not final passage of H.R. 5334.
Russian Oil Test Leaves a Türkiye Question
Section 113 covers a country that knowingly makes new purchases of Russian-origin crude oil or natural gas on or after 30 days after enactment and was among the five largest importers by total volume during the preceding 12 months. It separately covers the top five countries facilitating Russian oil sanctions evasion during that 12-month period. If a country meets those tests, Section 113 provides for additional duties of up to 100 percent on all goods imported into the United States from that country, not only its energy exports.
The natural gas provision contains an exemption. A country would escape duties based on Russian gas imports if those imports accounted for less than 15 percent of Russia's total annual natural gas exports during the relevant period and the country had taken significant steps to reduce them. Section 113 does not provide the same exemption for crude oil.
The Senate text defines crude oil for this test as the substance covered by Harmonized System code 2709 and natural gas as the substance covered by code 2711, with liquefied natural gas included in the latter definition. Refined petroleum products are therefore not counted in Section 113's crude-oil or natural-gas importer test.
U.S. Energy Information Administration data show that Europe received 12 percent of Russia's crude oil and condensate exports in 2024 and 11 percent in the first half of 2025, with more than half of those Russia-to-Europe volumes going to Türkiye in both periods. China and India were much larger destinations globally: China received an average 2.2 million barrels per day of Russian crude oil and condensate in 2024, while India received 1.7 million barrels per day.
Those figures do not establish whether Türkiye would rank among the five largest importers under Section 113, which uses total volume over the applicable 12-month period. The initial country test looks at the 12 months preceding enactment. No later than 180 days after duties are first imposed, and every 180 days thereafter, the U.S. Trade Representative, in consultation with the secretaries of state and energy, would determine the five largest importers by volume of Russian crude oil and the five largest importers of Russian natural gas using the most recent 12-month period.
Section 113 also limits the reach of the tariff authority by stating that the legislation does not authorize duties on goods from a country that is not expressly covered by the criteria in Section 113(c), apart from Russia itself. Türkiye's inclusion in the rejected Hoyer-Kaptur amendment therefore has no legal effect on its own; any tariff exposure would depend on the statutory tests if the legislation becomes law.
Waivers Require a Finding and Report to Congress
Section 115 allows the president to waive a sanction, restriction or duty under the Russia title. Before doing so, the president must certify in writing to Congress that the waiver is in the national interests of the United States and submit a report explaining the basis for that finding.
Meeks and Reps. Mike Quigley, Bill Keating and Jamie Raskin submitted an amendment that would have tightened the standard, allowing waivers only when "vital to the national security of the United States." Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon moved to make the amendment eligible for floor consideration during the Sept. 14 Rules Committee meeting, but the motion failed 3-7.
The Trump administration backed the Senate legislation in a July 28 Statement of Administration Policy.
Iran Sanctions Act Extended to 2031
H.R. 5334 also extends the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 by changing its expiration year from 2026 to 2031. With the exception of Section 201, the sanctions division would terminate five years after enactment under Section 203.
The Senate passed H.R. 5334 as amended by 86-11 on Aug. 7. If the House concurs without changing the Senate text, the legislation can go directly to the president without another Senate vote.
Sources: U.S. House of Representatives Office of the Clerk, U.S. House Committee on Rules, U.S. Government Publishing Office, U.S. Senate, White House, U.S. Energy Information Administration, Bosphorus News review and reporting.