US President Donald Trump has used waiver powers under the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 to suspend the application of several Russia-related sanctions and tariff provisions. The October 16 executive order is significant for countries buying Russian energy, including India, because the law includes measures aimed at major importers of Russian oil and gas.
The decision should not be read as the removal of every US restriction involving Russia. The order implements the new law while also exercising specific waiver authorities within it. Existing measures under other legal authorities require separate examination, and the announcement does not by itself establish that every transaction involving Russian entities is permitted.
What the order covers
The White House text sets out duties linked to new purchases of Russian-origin crude oil or natural gas by the five largest importing countries. Its tariff provision refers to an additional 100 per cent ad valorem duty, with an October 18 date for relevant new purchases, subject to statutory exceptions and the waivers contained in the order.
The same document invokes the president's authority to waive measures in the national interest. Reading the tariff language without the waiver section would therefore give an incomplete picture of what the administration is putting into effect. The headline tariff figure and the practical application of that figure are separate questions.
The Associated Press reported that Trump waived many of the Russia-related measures before they took effect. The development followed the enactment of legislation intended to increase economic pressure on Moscow over the war in Ukraine. The administration's action demonstrates the importance of the discretion written into that legislation.
Why the decision matters for India
India's relevance comes from its purchases of Russian energy and the law's focus on major importing countries. NDTV's reporting described the waiver as relief for India and China from the new Russia-related tariff threat. That does not mean Indian exports have become exempt from every other US trade measure.
For exporters, the distinction is practical. A tariff attached to Russian-energy purchases can be different from an ordinary customs duty or another country-specific trade action. A headline about relief under one law cannot answer the duty payable on every product entering the United States.
For energy buyers, the same caution applies to counterparties and payments. A waiver directed at particular provisions does not automatically settle questions about separately designated entities, shipping arrangements or banking restrictions. The relevant transaction and the applicable legal authority still determine the compliance position.
The wider diplomatic dispute
The law was designed to strengthen pressure over Russia's war in Ukraine. The decision to use waivers therefore has implications beyond trade, because it affects how that pressure is applied and how much discretion the US administration retains in its dealings with Moscow.
Enactment, implementation and enforcement are separate stages in the application of the law. In this case, those stages need to remain distinct: Congress created authorities and requirements, the president issued an implementing order, and that order also used the waiver mechanism. The resulting policy cannot be understood from the law's title alone.
Reporting by Axios described criticism of the decision, while the Associated Press separately reported Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's appeal for support for sanctions. Those reactions underline the political disagreement over how economic pressure should be used. They do not change the wording or immediate scope of the US order.
What businesses should watch next
The next useful developments will be implementation guidance, any changes to the waivers and explanations from the agencies responsible for customs and sanctions administration. Companies need those operational details to assess particular shipments or contracts; general political statements cannot substitute for them.
The October 16 action offers relief from specified measures under the new law while leaving a more complicated overall sanctions and trade framework in place. For Indian readers, the central point is that the new Russia-linked tariff threat has been qualified by presidential waivers, rather than that all trade or financial restrictions have disappeared.
