Trump Waives Sweeping Russia Tariffs Under New Graham Act, Citing National Interest
President Donald Trump signed an executive order exempting Russian imports and major oil purchasers from steep penalties required under newly enacted legislation.
At a glance
- President Trump waived Graham Act requirements for tariffs of up to 500% on Russian goods and up to 100% on top oil buyers like China and India.
- The White House certified the waiver was in the national interest, following an earlier relief measure on Russian diesel exports.
- The move drew praise from Moscow but sparked strong condemnation from Ukrainian leadership and congressional co-authors.
U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order late Friday waiving major tariff provisions from a newly passed sanctions law aimed at constraining Russia's war in Ukraine. In the official filing, Trump certified to Congress that granting the waiver was in the national interest of the United States.
The bypassed rules stem from the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026. The legislation passed the House of Representatives on Sept. 16 and was signed into law by Trump two days later. Named after the late Republican senator from South Carolina who was its chief sponsor, the law was created to punish Moscow economically for its ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Waived Import Duties and Oil Penalties
Under the statute, the executive branch was required to raise duties on all Russian imports by up to 500% within 30 days of enactment. It also directed the administration to levy tariffs of up to 100% on countries that rank among the five largest buyers of Russian gas or crude oil, a group that includes India and China.
Trump's directive halts both of those measures just two days prior to their enforcement deadline. The order keeps in place preexisting sanctions imposed under previous executive actions. The broader legislation also retains mechanisms to sanction Iranian interests as well as Russian officials and banking institutions.
Political and Economic Repercussions
The exemption follows a separate step taken the previous week, in which the White House temporarily lifted sanctions on Russian diesel shipments through April 2027 to address fuel shortages linked to war in Iran. Energy prices remain a top voter concern ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections, where the Republican Party holds a slim congressional majority.
Reactions to the announcement diverged sharply. Kirill Dmitriev, an economic envoy for Russian President Vladimir Putin, praised the development on X as an important and historic milestone that preserves bilateral economic discussions.
Conversely, critics in Washington and Kyiv strongly objected. Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, who co-authored the measure, condemned the administration for undermining Congress, European allies, and the American public. Speaking at a summit in Brussels, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that granting exemptions on energy exports risks setting a precedent that could gradually weaken penalties across the banking and manufacturing sectors.
Source: CNBC.
Questions and answers
- What parts of the Graham Act did Trump waive?
- Trump waived requirements to raise tariffs on Russian imports up to 500% and to penalize top buyers of Russian oil and gas, such as China and India, with duties up to 100%.
- Why was the sanctions waiver issued?
- Trump certified to Congress that the waiver served U.S. national interests, amid domestic sensitivities over fuel prices and global energy crunches ahead of midterm elections.
- How did foreign officials respond to the waiver?
- Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev welcomed the move as an important step for dialogue, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned it could lead to broader sanctions relief.
