A sudden turn in Washington. Trump repeals harsh tariffs imposed on Moscow

The Graham Act and its consequences

The bill named after the late Sen. Lindsey Graham was signed into law by President Trump in September.

It codified existing sanctions against Russia and enabled the president to impose further restrictions, including tariffs of up to 100 percent on countries that are the largest importers of Russian oil and gas.

The act also provided for an increase in customs duties on goods imported from Russia to the US, including oil, gas and petroleum products - up to 500 percent.

The new rates were to come into force on October 18.

Trump's decision: In the US national interest

On Friday evening, an executive order was published on the White House website, in which President Trump announced the repeal of tariffs that would affect importers of Russian oil and tariffs on goods imported from Russia to the US.

In the decree, the president emphasized that "issuing such a waiver at this time is in the national interest of the United States."

Trump also announced that he had submitted an appropriate declaration to Congress on this matter.

Agreement with Putin and suspension of sanctions

On Friday, October 9, the US president announced that he had reached an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin to import a total of 4.8 million tons of Russian diesel fuel to the United States and other countries over the next few months. This also means the suspension of sanctions on Russian fuel until April 2027.

President Trump's decision was met with immediate criticism from both Democrats and some Republicans.