Trump guts landmark Russia sanctions law, waiving 500% tariffs before they take effect

WASHINGTON, Oct. 16, 2026 — Trump signed an executive order implementing the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 while simultaneously waiving its principal sanctions and tariff provisions, citing US national interests. The extraordinary decision has effectively stripped the legislation of much of its immediate economic force, transforming a law intended to dramatically escalate pressure on Russia into a largely dormant sanctions framework.

The legislation establishes a 500% additional tariff on Russian imports, alongside 100% tariffs targeting major purchasers of Russian oil and natural gas and countries facilitating sanctions evasion. The measures were designed to strike at the international trade relationships sustaining Moscow's economy and war effort. However, Trump immediately invoked his waiver authority under Section 115, suspending the tariffs before their scheduled implementation on Oct. 18. The president also waived sanctions and restrictions under Sections 102 through 111 and Section 117, effectively shelving much of the legislation's enforcement machinery.

The decision represents a striking reversal of the pressure the legislation was intended to generate. Rather than confronting Russia and the countries continuing to purchase its energy exports with unprecedented economic penalties, the White House has chosen to preserve those commercial relationships from the law's immediate consequences. The move risks weakening the credibility of US sanctions threats and raises broader questions about Washington's willingness to impose meaningful economic costs on Moscow, particularly when doing so could disrupt international energy markets or relations with major trading partners.

Trump justified the waivers on national interest grounds, submitting the required certification to Congress. Existing sanctions imposed under earlier executive orders remain in force, and the administration retains the authority to reconsider the suspended measures. US officials will continue monitoring Russian energy purchases and sanctions evasion, preserving the possibility of future enforcement.

Nevertheless, the contrast between the legislation's sweeping ambitions and its immediate suspension is difficult to ignore. Congress provided the administration with powerful new economic weapons against Russia, only for the president to decline to deploy them at the first opportunity. The result is a sanctions law whose potential severity is matched, for now, by the administration's reluctance to enforce it.