Trump waives new Russia measures as Rubio outlines 60-day economic review

President Donald Trump signed an order on 16 October waiving major sanctions and tariffs in a Russia sanctions law he had signed just a month earlier. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday that Trump wanted to use the next 60 days to assess the economic effects of sanctions and tariffs on the world and the United States, according to Nieuws.nl’s ANP/AFP report and the Associated Press. [1] [4]

The 60 days describe Rubio’s proposed period of assessment, not the legal duration of the waivers. Trump’s order sets no 60-day expiry: it says the waivers remain in effect until the president or the secretary of state decides further action is appropriate. [2]

The measure holds back tariffs set out in the law, including a 500% duty on goods imported into the US from Russia and 100% duties on goods from certain major buyers of Russian oil or gas and countries facilitating sanctions evasion. It also waives specified new sanctions and restrictions. Those tariffs apply to goods imported into the US, not directly to every purchase of Russian energy. The order does not lift all existing US sanctions on Russia; it expressly leaves measures imposed under earlier, specified executive orders untouched. [2] [3]

The law, signed on 18 September, allows the president to issue waivers if he submits a written certification and an explanatory report to Congress. Trump says in the order that he has done so on national-interest grounds. [2] [3]

The decision drew criticism from Republican and Democratic members of Congress, AP reported. Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev praised it as a historic moment, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called it unfortunate, according to CBS News. Their reactions underline the dispute over the policy; its economic effects have yet to be measured. [4] [5]