US President Donald Trump officially exempted the imposition of heavy secondary sanctions on foreign consumers of Russian energy, one month after he signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 (SRIA) into law. Trump’s executive waiver stops the prospect of up to 100% duties on goods coming from the world’s five largest buyers of Russian crude oil and natural gas, giving immediate relief to major trading partners such as India and China.
Trump acted on his executive powers under Section 115 of the Graham Act, which allows the president to waive sanctions, tariffs, and trade bans if they are deemed vital for the country’s national security and economic stability.
“I have submitted to the Congress a certification that the issuance of such a waiver is in the national interests of the United States,” Trump stated in the executive order.
Sky-high US diesel prices cause dramatic policy change preceding midterms
The dramatic change in US policy comes amid a major bilateral fuel deal struck directly between the governments of Washington and Moscow.
In light of sky-high US diesel prices just before the November midterms, the Trump administration negotiated a multi-stage delivery plan for the Russian diesel fuel: Commenting on the truth of social, Trump described the deal as “a big deal,” thanking President of Russia Vladimir Putin for his willingness to deliver “massive amounts of diesel” to calm down American fuel pumps.
