President Donald Trump waived the application of new duties and specified sanctions under the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act in an executive order dated October 16. The order sets out tariff increases, then expressly exempts them from application through its waiver provisions.
Section 2 describes a 500% ad valorem increase in duties on Russian goods. It also describes 100% increases for goods from the five largest importers of Russian crude oil and natural gas if they knowingly make new purchases on or after October 18, and for goods from the top five facilitators of Russian oil-sanctions evasion. All of those provisions are subject to the order's waivers and statutory exceptions.
Section 4 waives the duties provided for in the order and in sections 112 and 113 of the Graham Act. It also waives sanctions and restrictions under section 102(d) and other listed provisions of the law, which Trump signed on September 18.
The order leaves unaffected sanctions and other measures imposed through executive orders addressing the Russia-related national emergency continued on March 24, 2026, as those measures stood immediately before the Graham Act became law. That exception includes those sanctioned under those earlier orders.
Trump states in the order that he submitted certifications to Congress declaring the waivers in the U.S. national interest, along with reports explaining their basis. The waivers have no fixed expiration date: they remain until the president or secretary of state, consulting the Treasury secretary and U.S. trade representative as appropriate, determines that further action is warranted.
The U.S. trade representative must continue monitoring purchases of Russian oil and gas and countries' facilitation of sanctions evasion, in consultation with other officials. The order requires regular reports to the president and prompt notice of circumstances that could call for further action, including changes concerning the waivers.
