Trump waives many Russia-related sanctions and tariffs
Kanishka Singh and Jasper Ward |
US President Donald Trump says he is waiving many sanctions, restrictions and duties days before they were to take effect under a bill that he signed into law last month.
Trump’s executive order comes as he has been warming toward Russia and publicly criticising Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, including suggesting that Ukraine needs a new leader.
The legislation, whose primary backer in Congress was the late Senator Lindsey Graham, would have imposed tariffs of up to 100 per cent within 30 days on all goods brought into the US from the five largest importers of Russian crude oil or gas.
The bill also laid out tariff provisions targeting countries that rank among the five largest importers of Russian-origin crude oil and natural gas and knowingly make new purchases of such supplies on or after October 18. A separate provision covers the top five facilitators of Russian oil sanctions evasion.
Trump signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 in mid-September.
“I have submitted to the Congress a certification that the issuance of such a waiver at this time is in the national interests of the United States,” Trump said in the order released by the White House on Friday.
The move comes as the Trump administration faces pressure over its approach to Russian energy exports and efforts to address high fuel prices.
The decision to waive provisions of the new law also comes amid criticism from politicians who have argued that easing restrictions on Russian oil could provide Moscow with revenue while its war against Ukraine continues.
Countries such as India, which is among the biggest buyers of Russian oil, have raised concerns about the Russia sanctions bill.
Reuters