Trump waives Graham Act sanctions and the 100% tariff threat on India over Russian oil — temporary and revocable. The October 18 deadline is now moot.
Updated: October 17, 2026, 11:00 AM IST
Quick Read
- On Friday night (US time), Donald Trump signed an executive order waiving the application of sanctions, restrictions and duties under the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, citing America’s “national interest”.
- The immediate effect: India and China get relief from the 100% tariff threat ahead of the October 18 deadline — which is now moot as far as duties go.
- The catch: the waiver is temporary and revocable, not a repeal. Existing US sanctions on Russia stay, and the USTR will keep monitoring who buys Russian energy.
The 100% tariff threat hanging over India is off — for now. Donald Trump’s Friday-night executive order waives the application of sanctions, restrictions and duties under the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act for countries buying Russian oil and gas. The White House submitted a Section 115 national-interest certification to Congress to back the move, according to The Hindu, the Indian Express and the Financial Express, all reporting on Saturday morning.
Also read: 100% duty threat: Oct 18 tariff deadline for India
Trump waives tariff on India: what the order actually says
Strip it to the plain words. The Graham Act, pushed by Senator Lindsey Graham, would have let the US slap 100% duties on countries buying Russian oil and gas. Trump’s order waives the application of those sanctions, restrictions and duties — it switches the machinery off without dismantling it.
The legal hook is Section 115 of the Act itself: the president can certify to Congress that waiving the measures serves the US national interest. That certification is what the White House filed. India and China — the two biggest buyers of Russian crude — are the immediate beneficiaries.
Temporary, not gone: what stays in place
This is the part to read twice. The waiver “does not permanently remove the provisions” — it can be revoked. Existing US sanctions on Russia imposed under earlier executive orders remain untouched. And the USTR has been told to monitor countries’ Russian-energy purchases and report back, per ET and TOI.
Waiver versus repeal, in one line: a repeal kills the law; a waiver pauses it. This is a pause — with a monitor watching.
Also read: Trump-Russia diesel deal: what it means for India tariffs
The diesel deal behind the waiver
The waiver didn’t come out of nowhere. It sits on top of a Trump–Putin diesel arrangement: 300,000-plus tonnes of diesel immediately, 500,000 tonnes in November, a million after that, and 3 million more “within a short period”, per ET and IE. The US Treasury has issued a license allowing Russian diesel sales through April 7, 2027.
The backlash was instant. Seven US senators from both parties objected, and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the deal a “gift to Putin”, per NV Ukraine. The politics of this waiver are as live as the economics.
What it means for India
India imports more than 88% of its crude, and Russian oil was 45% of those imports in August — 2.08 million barrels a day, per the Indian Express citing an MEA brief. A 100% duty threat on that flow was the single biggest near-term risk to India’s energy bill.
The MEA’s line hasn’t moved. Spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said on October 16 that India’s approach is “guided by availability of oil in the market and prevailing global circumstances.” Translation: India buys what’s available and affordable, and it just got breathing room to keep doing that.
What to watch next: whether Congress pushes back on the Section 115 certification, what the USTR’s monitoring reports say, and — the real test — whether the waiver gets extended or quietly lapses. October 18, a Sunday, was supposed to be the cliff edge. It’s now just a date.
Also read: Rubio India visit: energy and tariffs on the table
FAQs
Are the 100% US tariffs on India gone?
No. They’ve been waived, not repealed. Trump’s order pauses the Graham Act’s sanctions and duties under a national-interest certification, but the provisions stay on the books and the waiver can be revoked.
What is the Graham Act?
The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act — a US law meant to punish buyers of Russian oil and gas with sanctions and up to 100% duties. It was the source of the October 18 deadline pressure on India.
Does India still buy Russian oil?
Yes. Russian crude was 45% of India’s oil imports in August (2.08 mbpd), and the MEA says buying decisions follow market availability and global circumstances. The waiver removes the immediate US penalty threat from those purchases.
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