Sanctions — 2026-09-21

Trump Signs Lindsey Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act Expanding Sanctions With Up to 500 Percent Tariffs

BLUFBroad waiver authority and Treasury's existing enforcement pause make this law a political instrument Trump can brandish or shelve at will, not a self-executing constraint on Russia trade.

The White House said on September 18 that Trump signed H.R. 5334, the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, after the Senate passed it 86-11 in August and the House 262-159 on September 16 12. The law authorizes tariffs of up to 100% on goods from countries among the largest buyers of Russian oil and gas or major facilitators of sanctions evasion, and up to 500% on Russian-origin imports, with the White House required to reassess covered countries every 180 days 12. It expands sanctions on Russian officials, financial institutions, the defense and energy sectors, and the shadow tanker fleet, targets LNG projects including Yamal LNG and Arctic LNG 2, restricts new US business deals in Russia pending a peace deal acceptable to Ukraine, and extends the Iran Sanctions Act through 2031 2. The law gives Trump discretion to waive or terminate sanctions and tariffs, including after a peace agreement 1. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Trump and Congress and urged full and swift implementation, while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said further US sanctions would complicate peace efforts 23.

Analysis
The statute's weight rests on enforcement discretion Trump has not exercised: waiver authority lets him decline every tariff and sanctions trigger the text creates, and Treasury's near year-long pause on enforcing existing Russia sanctions predicts near-term impact better than the 500% tariff ceiling does. The 180-day reassessment clock forces the next decision on covered countries, but the administration retains full latitude to leave China and India untouched. RFE/RL's primary reporting adds analyst detail the secondary Ukrainian and Russian outlets don't independently corroborate. The bill's dilution from an unconditional 500% tariff proposal into a heavily waivable framework suggests its primary function is negotiating leverage rather than binding economic escalation, and Zelenskyy's push for "full and swift" implementation signals Kyiv expects Washington to sit on this authority absent sustained pressure.

3 sources

Trump signs sweeping new Russia and Iran sanctions law - New Voice of Ukraine
Trump Signs Russia-Iran Sanctions Bill, Putting New Pressure Tools At His Disposal - RFE/RL
Trump Signs Sweeping Russia Sanctions Bill - The Moscow Times