The Sanctioning Russia Act, which President Trump signed on September 18, 2026, generally requires his administration to put its tariffs and sanctions in place by October 18, 2026, which falls this Sunday. On Oct. 9, with the clock already running, Treasury issued a license clearing the sale, delivery and import of Russian diesel, U.S. ports included, and lawmakers in both parties now question whether the new law will be enforced at all.
Where it stands: As of Oct. 13 we found no public report that the administration has imposed, or formally waived, any of the act’s tariffs. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox on Oct. 11 that “anyone in Congress who says whether it’s an old bill or the current Lindsey Graham bill (that) prohibits us from doing it is wrong,” Reuters reported.
The formal title of H.R. 5334 is the “Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026.” It honors the South Carolina senator and Russia hawk, who died in July. The Senate passed it 86-11 on Aug. 7 and the House 262-159 on Sept. 16, according to the law firm Akin Gump. Our earlier coverage of the bill tracked it before passage; this piece covers what it now requires.
What the Sanctioning Russia Act requires
The law’s preamble says it imposes sanctions on Russia “as championed by the late Senator Lindsey O. Graham.” Its sharpest tools are tariffs, and they reach two different targets.
The first is Russia itself. Section 112 lets the president raise duties on Russian goods, oil and petroleum products included, to a rate of up to 500%. The second is Russia’s customers. Section 113 directs the president to raise duties on every import from a country that ranked among the five largest buyers of Russian crude oil or natural gas over the prior year, to a rate of up to 100%. A country whose Russian gas imports came to less than 15% of Russia’s gas exports can be spared under conditions spelled out in the text.
The Associated Press summarized the rest: the law “envisions sanctions on Russian officials, banks and a shadow fleet of tankers” and bars new U.S. investment in Russia.
| Section | What the enrolled text does |
|---|---|
| Sec. 112 | Duties of up to 500% on Russian goods, including oil and petroleum products |
| Sec. 113 | Duties of up to 100% on all goods from top-five buyers of Russian crude or gas |
| Sec. 114(h) | Keeps Treasury’s power to extend or issue new general licenses |
| Sec. 115 | Waiver with a written national-interest certification and a report |
| Sec. 117 | Lifting tied to a peace deal Ukraine accepts, with a waiting period |
| Sec. 203 | Most of the law expires five years after enactment |
The October 18 deadline
The law firm Baker Botts, in a client note after the signing, wrote that the act “generally requires the President to implement the sanctions, tariffs, and other restrictions described in the legislation within 30 days of enactment (by October 18, 2026), subject to the Act’s exceptions and waiver provisions.”
Section 113 carries the hardest wording. Not later than 30 days after enactment, the president “shall, notwithstanding any other provision of law,” raise the duty on goods from the qualifying countries. The word is shall, not may. The text caps the rate at 100% but sets no minimum.
The act does not name the countries. Baker Botts noted that “most reporting indicates that China, India, and Türkiye likely comprise the top purchasers of Russian oil.” Akin Gump, working from trade data, put China and India as the two most likely to fall in scope.
The exits Congress built in
The deadline is less rigid than it looks. Section 115 lets the president waive “any sanctions provision” or “any duty under this title,” provided he sends Congress a written certification that the waiver serves the national interest and a report explaining why. Akin Gump called that “a very broad standard.”
A second clause matters more for diesel. Section 114(h) says nothing in that part of the law limits “the authority of the Secretary of the Treasury to extend or issue new general licenses.” Akin Gump read it as keeping OFAC’s power to issue or extend licenses “without congressional review.” Of everything in the act, that sentence is the strongest textual support for the administration. We found no report of officials citing it.
The act also ends on its own terms. Section 117 ties the lifting of measures to Russia having “signed a peace agreement that is accepted by the free and independent Government of Ukraine,” followed by a waiting period during which a termination cannot take effect. Section 203 sunsets the division five years after enactment.
Where the diesel license fits
The Oct. 9 license, General License 135, authorizes the “sale, delivery, offloading and import of Russian-origin diesel through April 7, 2027,” Ship & Bunker reported. Our explainer on the deal covers what was announced and what was issued.
The Graham act is not the law that keeps Russian fuel out of U.S. ports. Baker Botts was explicit in September: the act “does not eliminate existing prohibitions” on Russian energy imports, which rest on Executive Order 14066, and “the new tariff regime does not by itself make those products importable into the United States.” The import ban critics invoke most often is the 2022 statute, which we walk through in our look at whether the deal is legal.
The two laws pull in opposite directions on diesel. Section 112 would let the president tax Russian petroleum products at up to 500%, while the license clears the way for them to arrive. We found no report that any duty has been set on Russian diesel under Section 112.
📨 Get Free Accountability Coverage Alerts
Free · No spam · Unsubscribe anytime
Why critics doubt the Sanctioning Russia Act will be enforced
The AP framed the stakes the day the license appeared: “Trump’s move casts doubt on the likelihood of the White House imposing sanctions on Russia this month,” because the new law directs action against the biggest buyers of Russian oil and gas.
Republicans who backed the bill made the same point in their own words. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, quoted by TIME: “I was a co-sponsor of the Russian sanctions law, which the President recently signed, but is now not following.” Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said “the President should be using those authorities instead of allowing Russia to export diesel, rake in revenues, and continue its catastrophic war in Ukraine.”
Outside Congress, Georgetown Law scholar Peter Harrell wrote that the diesel move “pretty much proves the point that the Graham Russia Bill was not going to force the Trump Administration to increase economic pressure on Moscow,” CNBC reported. Scott Lincicome of the Cato Institute noted that Congress had “just passed a law giving Trump the power to impose new tariffs on major buyers of Russian oil & gas.”
Rep. Don Beyer, the Joint Economic Committee’s senior House Democrat, went further, according to the AP: “Giving him expanded tariff powers in hopes he would use them to help Ukraine was a mistake.”
Whether the diesel license or any other step breaches the Graham act is disputed. No court has ruled on it, and the act’s own Section 114(h) preserves Treasury’s power to issue new general licenses. Our guide to what Congress can do covers the options lawmakers are weighing.
What the administration says
Bessent said the administration would act “with all the legal authorities we have.” Reuters reported that he also called the agreement good for the American people and said it would bring prices down.
Sen. John Barrasso, a Wyoming Republican, told CBS’s Face the Nation that the president “is balancing and has to make tough decisions.” He added: “This is just another point of leverage for the president to use against Putin in an effort to get a long-term solution in that part of the world.” The AP added that he also urged Trump to enforce the sanctions law Congress passed in September.
That leaves two clocks running in opposite directions. The Section 113 deadline falls on Oct. 18. The diesel license, on its stated terms, runs until April 7, 2027. How the administration has treated earlier easings is laid out in our 2026 timeline of Russia sanctions waivers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Sanctioning Russia Act?
It is H.R. 5334, named for the late Sen. Lindsey O. Graham and formally the Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026. President Trump signed it on September 18, 2026. It authorizes duties of up to 500% on Russian goods and up to 100% on goods from the top buyers of Russian crude or gas, plus sanctions on Russian officials, banks and shadow-fleet tankers.
When is the Sanctioning Russia Act deadline?
October 18, 2026. Baker Botts reads the act as generally requiring implementation within 30 days of the signing, though its waivers and exceptions still apply.
Does the Sanctioning Russia Act ban Russian diesel imports?
No. Baker Botts notes the act does not by itself make Russian energy products importable or unimportable; the import bar comes from Executive Order 14066 and a separate statute Congress passed in 2022. The Graham act adds tariff and sanctions powers on top.
Can Trump waive the Sanctioning Russia Act?
Yes, under Section 115, if he certifies in writing to Congress that a waiver serves the national interest and explains why in a report. Akin Gump calls that a very broad standard. Section 114(h) separately preserves Treasury authority to issue new general licenses.
Which countries could face the 100% tariffs?
The act does not name them. It covers the five largest importers of Russian crude or gas over the prior year. Law firms Baker Botts and Akin Gump point to China and India as most likely, and Baker Botts also mentions Türkiye.
Sources
- H.R. 5334 (Enrolled Bill): Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 — U.S. Government Publishing Office (govinfo), September 2026
- President Trump Signs Graham Sanctions Act, Expanding Russia Sanctions and Tariff Authorities — Baker Botts L.L.P., September 2026
- Newly Enacted Law Targeting Russia Creates Novel Tariff Authority over Third-Country Imports, While Reinforcing Existing U.S. Sanctions Framework — Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, September 23, 2026
- Trump says U.S. to get diesel from Russia, relaxing pressure on Moscow to ease prices before midterms — NPR (The Associated Press), October 9, 2026
- Trump-Putin diesel deal contradicts Russia sanctions law, critics say — CNBC, October 9, 2026
- Republicans Denounce Trump’s Diesel Deal With Russia’s Putin Amid Mounting Backlash — TIME, October 12, 2026
- Bipartisan group of senators calls on Trump to ‘reverse course’ on Russian diesel plan — PBS News (Associated Press), October 11, 2026
- US Republicans, Democrats want Trump to reverse course on Russia diesel — Reuters (via The Star), October 11, 2026
- US Lifts Sanctions on Russian Diesel for Six Months After Trump-Putin Call — Ship & Bunker, October 9, 2026
This article is news reporting and analysis based on the public sources listed above, as they stood on the dates shown. Where officials, lawmakers or analysts disagree, including on whether an action is lawful, their positions are attributed to them; Donald Trump Class Action is not a court and nothing here is legal advice. Facts in a developing story can change.