Trump waives key Russia-related sanctions, tariffs

President Donald Trump waived key Russia-related US sanctions and tariffs days before they were to take effect under a law he signed last month.

In an executive order released by the White House on Friday, Trump ​said the waiver was in the national interests of the United States.

The legislation, whose primary backer in Congress was ‌the late Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, would have imposed tariffs of up to 100 percent within 30 days on all goods brought into the US from the five largest ​importers of Russian crude oil or gas, as well as any country that knowingly bought oil or gas 30 days after the law was enacted or was among the top five countries helping Russia evade sanctions.

The order said the waiver will remain in effect until Trump or his top officials determine that "further action is appropriate."

Trump signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 in mid-September.

Trump’s decision comes a week after he said the US had agreed to purchase diesel from Russia to try to bring down global energy prices, ahead of the midterm elections on 3rd November.

WAM