Tariffs Again? How New U.S. Sanctions Against Russia Could Affect Kazakhstan
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The U.S. Senate has advanced another sanctions proposal targeting Russia. This time, countries that buy Russian oil and gas or help Moscow evade existing restrictions could face new tariffs, Orda.kz reports.
The bill, developed by Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal, would allow the U.S. president to impose tariffs of up to 100% on goods from countries that continue purchasing Russian energy.
The Senate voted 86–12 to continue considering the bill. This was a procedural vote, not its final passage.
The bill limits the application of these tariffs to the five largest importers of Russian oil or gas, as well as five countries that facilitate Russia’s evasion of energy sanctions,Blumenthal’s office said.
The bill does not name specific countries. However, Reuters reported, citing Senate aides involved in drafting it, that Kazakhstan is not on the preliminary lists.
The five largest buyers of Russian oil were identified as China, India, Slovakia, Hungary, and Azerbaijan. The largest importers of Russian gas were China, France, Japan, Hungary, and Belgium.
Kazakhstan nevertheless remains dependent on Russian fuel supplies. Oil analyst Olzhas Baidildinov said in a recent Orda.kz interview that the country imports between one million and 1.2 million tons of petroleum products from Russia annually.
The United States has already imposed a 12.5% tariff on most Kazakhstani goods, arguing that Kazakhstan does not adequately restrict imports of goods produced using forced labor. Oil, gas, fertilizers, and some food products were exempted.
The new sanctions bill is not yet in force. It must pass final votes in the Senate and House of Representatives before being sent to President Donald Trump for signature.
Original author: Alexander Zhdanov
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