Trump waives Russian oil and gas sanctions under Graham Act days before provisions were set to take effect
Days before key provisions of the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 were set to kick in, Trump signed an executive order waiving the sanctions, restrictions, and duties the law had authorized against Russian oil and gas. The October 16 order cited U.S. national interest — and instantly took the heat off India and China, two of the biggest buyers of Russian energy and the main targets of the legislation’s steep tariff provisions.
Trump issues executive order waiving Graham Act measures
On October 16, 2026, Trump signed an executive order formally waiving the sanctions, restrictions, and duties established under the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026. The order’s language was blunt: “I am hereby waiving the application of such sanctions, restrictions, and duties provided for in the Graham Act.”
Trump also submitted a formal certification to Congress alongside the order. It explained that issuing the waiver was in the U.S. national interest — the legal threshold required to suspend the law’s measures.
Easing those measures removes the immediate pressure, but it doesn’t resolve the underlying tension between countries that depend on Russian energy and a U.S.
The timing stands out. Trump had signed the Graham Act into law in mid-September 2026, yet several of its key provisions were only days from taking effect when the waiver arrived. That narrow window between enactment and suspension left almost no room for affected countries or markets to adjust.
What the Graham Act authorized and why the waiver was triggered
The legislation was principally backed in Congress by the late Senator Lindsey Graham. It gave the president broad authority to impose serious economic pressure on Russia and its energy customers — under the Act, Trump could levy tariffs of up to 100% within 30 days on goods entering the U.S. from the five largest importers of Russian crude oil or gas.
The law’s reach went further than direct buyers. It also covered countries that knowingly purchased Russian oil or gas within 30 days of enactment, and it targeted the top five nations helping Russia dodge existing sanctions. That combination cast a wide net across global energy markets.
Those provisions built a legal framework for sweeping economic consequences — not just for Russia, but for any major economy maintaining energy ties with Moscow. The waiver doesn’t dismantle that framework. It suspends the specified measures for now, leaving the legislative structure intact and available for future use.
Immediate effects for India, China, and other major Russian oil buyers
India and China are the clearest winners here. Both are major buyers of Russian oil and gas, and both were staring down 100% tariffs on goods they export to the U.S. — a hit that would have seriously disrupted their trade relationships with Washington. The waiver suspends those consequences. For countries that kept buying Russian energy after the war in Ukraine began, the relief is immediate.
Even before the provisions were set to land, the prospect of steep tariffs had already introduced uncertainty into energy markets. Supply chains, pricing agreements, and diplomatic calculations were all being shaped by whether the tariffs would actually hit.
Easing those measures removes the immediate pressure, but it doesn’t resolve the underlying tension between countries that depend on Russian energy and a U.S. legislative framework designed to penalize exactly that dependence.
Broader context: Trump’s shifting stance on Russia and Ukraine
The executive order didn’t happen in a vacuum. It reflects a broader shift in how the Trump administration has positioned itself toward Moscow since returning to office.
Trump has adopted a noticeably warmer public tone toward Russia while publicly criticizing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and suggesting Ukraine needs new leadership — a stance drawing close attention from allies and foreign policy observers alike. Suspending sanctions on Russian energy just days before they were set to hit major trading partners fits that pattern cleanly.
Worth noting: the Graham Act itself is still on the books. Trump’s order suspends its specified measures — it doesn’t repeal the legislation. The framework for imposing sanctions, tariffs, and restrictions on Russian oil and gas, and on the countries that buy it, remains in place. Whether it gets activated again depends on decisions that haven’t been made yet.
What this means going forward
Trump’s October 16 executive order waives the sanctions, restrictions, and duties the Graham Act authorized against Russian oil and gas, citing U.S. national interest. It came just days before key provisions were scheduled to take effect, giving immediate relief to India and China — the countries most directly exposed to the law’s 100% tariff provisions.
The Graham Act, signed in mid-September 2026, had authorized broad economic pressure on Russia and on nations buying Russian energy or helping Moscow evade sanctions. That legal framework is still intact. The waiver suspends its application for now but doesn’t eliminate the tools Congress put in place.
The decision also lands against a backdrop of a shifting U.S. posture toward Russia, with Trump warming to Moscow while distancing himself from Zelenskiy and Ukraine. How the administration handles the Graham Act’s provisions from here will be closely watched by energy-dependent nations and U.S. allies alike.
Kelly is an experienced writer with 15 years of experience exploring the big stories that shape our world, from tech breakthroughs and space exploration to climate, energy, and the fascinating quirks of science. She has a talent for turning complex ideas into sharp, memorable insights that stay with readers long after they’ve finished reading.
