Trump Waives Russia Sanctions That Threatened 100% Tariffs On India

New Delhi ( Raghwendra Pratap Singh) : In a major relief for India and China, US President Donald Trump has waived many sanctions and tariffs tied to Russian exports, a day before they were set to take effect under a bill he signed last month.According to Trump, the pause has been imposed in the “national interest”.

I am hereby waiving the application of such sanctions, restrictions, and duties provided for in the Graham Act. I have submitted to Congress a certification that the issuance of such a waiver at this time is in the national interest of the United States,” Trump said in an executive order released late Friday.

However, the directive only suspends implementation of the Russia-related tariffs, meaning Trump could apply them later if he chooses.

Trump had signed the legislation ‘Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 ‘ – which was named after Senator Lindsey Graham – one of Ukraine’s staunch defenders in Washington. He died in July this year shortly after returning from a trip to Kyiv.

The measure had given Trump 30 days to impose 100 per cent tariffs on all goods from the top five buyers of Russian crude – China, India, Slovakia, Hungary, and Azerbaijan – and also slap sanctions on numerous Russian entities and impose 500 per cent tariffs on all US imports of Russian energy products. The one-month deadline was set to expire tomorrow, October 18.

What is the legislation?

The legislation sought to reduce the financial resources sustaining Russia’s war against Ukraine and targeted Russian officials, banks, energy interests, and foreign entities supporting Moscow’s military operations. The law also authorised Trump to impose tariffs on countries doing business with Russia to cut their dependence on Russian oil and gas. Additionally, it included sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin and senior figures in the Russian government.