United States President Donald Trump has waived the application of “sanctions, restrictions, and duties” related to Russian energy exports under a law that he signed last month, saying it was in the “national interest” of America. The US President invoked the waiver clause under the law, championed by late Senator Lindsey O Graham as a way to bring punitive measures against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 had proposed tariffs of up to 100 per cent on goods from the top five purchasers of Russian oil and gas – which include China and India – within 30 days after its enacting. To be sure, the law did not name any country as a target. Further, it did not automatically impose tariffs, leaving the decision of imposing it, its rate and timing to the President.
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The recent waiver directive will suspend the implementation of the tariffs, but does not stop their formal imposition, which means that Trump can apply them at any other time of his choosing.
What did the executive order say?
“I am hereby waiving the application of such sanctions, restrictions, and duties provided for in the Graham Act. 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 executive order regarding the waiver, Bloomberg reported.
{{/usCountry}}“I am hereby waiving the application of such sanctions, restrictions, and duties provided for in the Graham Act. 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 executive order regarding the waiver, Bloomberg reported.
{{/usCountry}}This comes a week after the US President had, in a surprise move, said America had agreed to buy diesel from Russia in order to attempt to push down global energy prices, the Associated Press reported.
What is the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026?
The Act grants Trump expanded authority to place tariffs up to 100% on imports from the top five purchasers of Russian oil and gas. The law's primary motivation was to cripple Russia's energy export revenues and force Moscow to negotiate an end to the Ukraine war after over four years of fighting.
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It tasks the US Trade Representative, in consultation with the Secretary of State and Secretary of Energy, to identify the five largest importers of Russian crude and gas by total volume over the preceding 12 months, with the list reassessed every 180 days.
The tariff rate ceiling under the law is100 per cent, and remains at the President's discretion. Therefore, the President is not compelled by law to place tariffs on purchasers of Russian energy. The law provides for the President to waive tariffs on any country by certifying to Congress that the waiver serves the national interests of the US, a caveat which was used by Trump in the recent directive.