Russia Tariff Waiver Can Change Without a New Presidential Order
The Russia tariff waiver gives the State Department power over future relief, while USTR keeps tracking the countries that could face new duties.
President Trump's October 16 order waives the new Russia-related tariffs and gives the Secretary of State authority to change that relief. A later decision need not take the form of another presidential order. USTR, meanwhile, must continue tracking Russian energy purchases and sanctions evasion. The waiver pauses the additional duties while leaving agencies responsible for the decisions that could make them payable.
For a US import compliance manager, the immediate answer is to exclude the Graham Act addition from current cost estimates. The order prescribes 500% on Russian goods and 100% on goods from covered third countries, then waives their application. October 18 does not switch those duties on while the waiver remains in place. The rates, waiver and agency responsibilities appear together in .