Trump Waives Russia Sanctions and Tariffs Two Days Before New US Law Was to Take Effect
Trump waives Russia sanctions and tariffs in an executive order signed on Friday, October 16, two days before key penalties in a new US law were due to begin. The order sets aside duties on Russian goods and on the countries that buy the most Russian oil and gas. Those measures were due to take effect on Sunday, October 18, a month after Trump signed the law.
What the order actually does
The law is the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, which Trump signed on September 18. According to the text of the executive order, the act would have raised duties on Russian goods by 500 percent. It would also have added 100 percent on goods from the five largest importers of Russian oil and gas that knowingly made new purchases on or after October 18. A further 100 percent ...