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Sunday, October 18, 2026

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White House · Sunday, October 18, 2026

Trump waives the Russia tariffs Congress just passed

The File desk · Oct 18, 2026, 11:30 AM UTC

Status

Confirmed from the White House order posted Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, and from the enrolled text of the . The 60-day remark is Secretary Rubio's, from Saturday. The order itself sets no end date.
  • Confirmed
    The writes down the law's new tariffs and then waives them, along with most of the law's new sanctions.
  • Confirmed
    Sanctions under the Russia national emergency continued on March 24, 2026, stay in place.
  • Confirmed
    The waiver lasts until the President or the Secretary of State decides otherwise. The order sets no calendar end date.
President Trump set the new Russia tariffs on paper Friday, then waived them the same day. The also waives most of the law's new sanctions.1
The law, the , required a 500 percent duty on goods from Russia. It also required a 100 percent duty on the biggest buyers of Russian oil and gas, and on the countries that most help Russia dodge oil sanctions.2
The order writes those rates down. Then it waives them. The waiver covers the new duties and most of the new sanctions in the law.3
Older Russia sanctions stay. The order says it does not touch measures under the national emergency the President continued in March.4
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking Saturday at Joint Base Andrews, said the President wants the 60-day period to study what the sanctions and the tariffs would do to the economy. The order itself sets no end date. The waiver lasts until the President or the Secretary of State decides further action is appropriate.5
Why it matters (Estimate). The tariffs Congress wrote do not take effect while this waiver stands. Sanctions already in force under the March national emergency still do.
Rubio named India as one country those tariffs would have reached.

Notes

  1. 1.White House, executive order, Oct. 16, 2026, “Implementing the .” The President wrote: “As described further in section 4 of this order, I am hereby waiving the application of such sanctions, restrictions, and duties provided for in the . I have submitted to the Congress a certification that the issuance of such a waiver at this time is in the national interests of the United States.” https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/10/implementing-the-lindsey-o-graham-sanctioning-russia-and-iran-act-of-2026/
  2. 2.Same order, section 2. The duty on goods from Russia is increased by 500 percent ad valorem. The duty on goods from the largest five importers of Russian crude oil and natural gas is increased by 100 percent if the country knowingly makes new purchases on or after Oct. 18, 2026. The duty on goods from the top five facilitators of Russian oil sanctions evasion is increased by 100 percent. Each increase is subject to the section 4 waivers. The enrolled is . Section 115 says the President may waive a sanctions provision, a restriction, or a duty under that title after submitting a written certification to Congress that the waiver is in the national interest, and a report explaining the basis. https://www.congress.gov/119/bills/hr5334/BILLS-119hr5334enr.pdf
  3. 3.Same order, section 4. Subsection (a) waives duties in sections 112 and 113 of the or in the order. Subsection (b) waives the sanctions and restrictions in section 102(d). Subsection (c) waives sections 102(a), 102(e), 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, and 117. Subsection (d) says the waivers remain until the President or the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Treasury Secretary and the Trade Representative, determine that further action is appropriate.
  4. 4.Section 4(b) says nothing in the order affects sanctions under the national emergency the President continued on March 24, 2026, with respect to specified harmful foreign activities of the Government of the Russian Federation, 91 Fed. Reg. 15515, including people already sanctioned under those orders.
  5. 5.State Department, Secretary Marco Rubio remarks to the press, Oct. 17, 2026, Joint Base Andrews. On the waivers he said: “the problem is these sanctions were not just sanctions on Russia. They include tariffs on a number of countries – India, for example, and others. And so I think the President wants to take the 60-day period of time to sort of analyze what imposing both sanctions and tariffs will mean to the global economy and even to the U.S. economy.” The order does not contain the words “60-day.” https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesman/2026/10/secretary-of-state-marco-rubio-remarks-to-the-press-18/

What is still unknown or disputed

Primary sources

Every claim in this story is drawn from the documents below. If a fetch failed, that is recorded on the card.

  1. Source 1

    Implementing the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026

    The White House · October 16, 2026

    As described further in section 4 of this order, I am hereby waiving the application of such sanctions, restrictions, and duties provided for in the . I have submitted to the Congress a certification that the issuance of such a waiver at this time is in the national interests of the United States.

    https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/10/implementing-the-lindsey-o-graham-sanctioning-russia-and-iran-act-of-2026/

  2. Source 2

    H.R. 5334 enrolled text, Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act

    Congress.gov · September 18, 2026

    SEC. 115. The President may, subject to subsection (b), waive the application of any sanctions provision with respect to a foreign person, any restriction with respect to a person, or any duty under this title.

    https://www.congress.gov/119/bills/hr5334/BILLS-119hr5334enr.pdf

  3. Source 3

    Secretary of State Marco Rubio remarks to the press

    U.S. Department of State · October 17, 2026

    They include tariffs on a number of countries – India, for example, and others. And so I think the President wants to take the 60-day period of time to sort of analyze what imposing both sanctions and tariffs will mean to the global economy and even to the U.S. economy.

    https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesman/2026/10/secretary-of-state-marco-rubio-remarks-to-the-press-18/