Trump may get a big, new tariff authority
Summary
Congress is close to passing a bill that would give President Trump new power to impose tariffs up to 100% on major importers of Russian energy. This law would also strengthen sanctions on Russia and Iran, allowing the president more freedom to raise import taxes without many legal restrictions.Key Facts
- The bill is called the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026.
- It passed a Senate vote with strong bipartisan support, 86-12.
- It targets Russia’s oil tankers that try to avoid sanctions and imposes a 500% tariff on imports from Russia.
- The U.S. trade representative can set tariffs between 0% and 100% on the top five importers of Russian oil or gas.
- The trade representative only needs to notify Congress about tariff changes but does not have to explain or justify them.
- President Trump’s previous efforts to impose tariffs faced legal challenges and were limited by the courts.
- Existing tariff laws used for retaliation or economic reasons have restrictions and have been disputed in court.
- Some experts warn the bill could let the president impose large tariffs on U.S. allies without clear ties to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
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