The waiver has no fixed expiration date and will remain in effect until the administration determines otherwise. Trump told Congress the move serves US national interests, with analysts linking the decision to a desire to lower fuel prices before the midterm elections and a separate deal with Vladimir Putin to buy Russian diesel. Putin's envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, called the move a "historic moment," noting the original law's harm to joint projects. Market data shows Russian gasoil shipments to Africa plummeted from 330k b/d to 54k b/d in July, and Moscow's own producer diesel export ban remains in place until Oct. 31.
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
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Trump Waives 500% Russia Tariffs Indefinitely in September Law Reversal
US Politics4 days ago
President Donald Trump has issued a sweeping exemption for Russia and its energy partners from a sanctions package passed by Congress last month, just as Moscow launched one of its largest attacks on Ukraine's power grid. An executive order signed Friday removes the threat of 500% tariffs on Russian goods and 100% tariffs on the five largest buyers of Russian energy, as well as those facilitating sanctions evasion. This reversal of the Graham Act, which Trump signed on Sept. 18 and was scheduled to take effect Oct. 18, comes while Russia strikes more than 15 Ukrainian energy facilities with over 320 Shahed drones in a 12 hour window. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that the "sanctions blackout" only encourages Putin to escalate strikes ahead of winter.
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