Trump waives Russia tariff mandates in Graham Act order

The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 faces a suspension of its key tariff mandates after President Donald Trump signed an executive order late Friday. The order waives planned penalties on Russian goods and major oil buyers, citing national interests as the justification for the move.

The legislation, which the House passed on Sept. 16 and Trump signed into law two days later, required the president to increase duties on all Russian goods imported into the U.S. by up to 500%. It also mandated tariffs of up to 100% on countries such as China and India identified as top purchasers of Russian crude oil or gas. Trump's latest directive specifically exempts these two provisions from enforcement, though it preserves existing sanctions on Russia established under earlier executive orders.

The act was introduced over a year ago and was primarily backed by the late Lindsey Graham, a veteran Republican senator from South Carolina. Beyond tariffs, the law authorized sanctions against Russian leaders, officials, and financial institutions, as well as expanded measures against Iran. Oil sales revenue remains a critical funding source for Russia's war effort in Ukraine, a factor that complicates the diplomatic landscape surrounding these trade restrictions.

This waiver follows a temporary exemption granted by the Trump administration one week prior for Russian diesel exports through April 2027, intended to ease a supply crunch caused by the war in Iran. High fuel prices have become a sensitive issue for voters ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections, where Trump's Republican Party holds a narrow majority in both chambers of Congress.

Kirill Dmitriev, Russian President Vladimir Putin's economy envoy, described the suspension of these provisions as an important and truly historic moment in a post on X. He stated that U.S.-Russia economic dialogue and peacemaking efforts would continue. Conversely, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat who co-drafted the Graham Act, condemned the waiver in an X post, accusing Trump of siding with Russia's war machine against the majority of Americans and their representatives in Congress.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned in Brussels on Friday that the U.S.-Russia diesel agreement could set a precedent for further sanctions relief. He emphasized Ukraine's continued reliance on U.S. military technology and intelligence, noting that sanctions will be lifted on various fronts sequentially, including banking and chemical industries. Zelenskyy stated, "Sanctions will be lifted after gas... Then this will come to the banking system, certain individuals, chemical industry."

Earlier this week, reports indicated that Ukraine has restricted SpaceX's Starshield military application. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk responded on X that the U.S. government and president remain ultimately responsible for any curbs on the network.