Trump signs Russia-Iran sanctions law with 100% tariff threat for India, China
US President Donald Trump has signed into law the Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, a measure that expands sanctions on Russia and extends existing sanctions on Iran. The law also authorises tariffs of up to 100 per cent on countries buying Russian oil and gas, including China and India.
The legislation seeks to target Russia's leadership, energy sector, defence industry collaborators and its so-called shadow fleet. It also gives Trump wide discretion over how the law is implemented, including which countries face tariffs, the rates imposed and whether sanctions provisions are waived.
"On Friday, September 18, 2026, the President signed into law: H.R. 5334, the \"Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026,\" which authorizes and expands statutory sanctions, tariffs, and prohibitions on Russia and extends existing sanctions on Iran," the White House said.
The House of Representatives passed the Bill on Wednesday. Under the law, which comes into effect within 30 days of being signed by the President, he is required to impose duties of up to 100 per cent on goods imported from countries that are among the top five purchasers of Russian crude oil or natural gas by total volume during the 12 months before the law was enacted.
A country can be exempt from gas-related duties if its Russian gas imports accounted for less than 15 per cent of Russia's total exports during the relevant period and it has taken "significant steps" to reduce those imports. The legislation also targets Russia's shadow fleet and other foreign persons involved in supporting Russian energy production or helping evade sanctions, including vessel owners, operators, managers, insurers and others engaged in covered activities.
In sum, the new US law expands sanctions on Russia and Iran, allows tariffs of up to 100 per cent on major buyers of Russian oil and gas, and targets entities linked to Russian energy trade and sanctions evasion, while leaving its implementation largely to the President's discretion.
