The White House announced the signing on the evening of September 18. Trump did not comment on the move. His signature brings the law into force.
The law gives the president the authority to impose tariffs of up to 100% on goods from countries among the five largest buyers of Russian oil or gas that continue purchases 30 days after the document takes effect. The five largest countries helping Russia evade oil sanctions may also fall under the restrictions. The list is to be reviewed every 180 days.
Separately, the law provides for raising tariffs on goods imported directly from Russia to a rate that could reach 500%, according to The Insider. The initial version of the initiative envisioned tariffs of up to 500% against countries buying Russian energy resources, but that ceiling was later lowered to 100%.
The law also introduces sanctions against Russian officials, financial institutions, the energy and defense sectors, and vessels of the "shadow fleet." According to Igor Slabykh, an expert on the U.S. legal and tax system cited by The Insider, the specific rate of secondary tariffs may range from more than zero to 100%, and a significant portion of the restrictions remains at the president's discretion. The measures are now codified by law, so the president cannot single-handedly repeal them all with one decision.
The House of Representatives approved the document by a vote of 262 to 159 after the Senate had earlier backed it. Most Democrats voted against it — they support increasing pressure on Russia but disagree with granting the president broad powers to impose tariffs.
The law is named the "Lindsey O. Graham Russia and Iran Sanctions Act of 2026" in honor of the Republican senator who had pushed the initiative since spring 2025. The Senate passed it after Graham's sudden death. The Trump administration took part in preparing the final version.
The day before, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the impending sanctions unfriendly actions and said they would complicate efforts to find a peaceful settlement. The Russian embassy in Washington tried to persuade the White House not to sign the document, warning of consequences for energy prices. After the signing, no new reaction from the Kremlin or the Foreign Ministry had appeared by Saturday morning.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the signing, calling the law critically important, and urged that its provisions be implemented fully and quickly. The Ukrainian president recalled Senator Graham's trips to Ukraine and his conviction that the United States has enough power to fight dictators.
India's Foreign Ministry said Delhi is ready to take the necessary measures to protect its trade and economic interests and will continue to ensure energy security through diversifying supplies.
According to Reuters, U.S. officials rushed the document's passage so that the president would gain additional leverage before a meeting with Xi Jinping. The Chinese leader is due to arrive in Washington on September 24. China is the largest buyer of Russian energy resources and one of the main potential targets of the new tariffs.
David Sanger, The New York Times' White House correspondent, believes the new law by itself does not mean a sharp tightening of Washington's course toward Moscow: Trump retains broad freedom in applying sanctions and is considering the possibility of economic deals with Russia even before the war ends. According to the publication, during recent contacts between Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner with Vladimir Putin, possible energy and other Russian-American projects were discussed.