Trump signs tariff gun, India waits for the trigger
The US law permits tariffs of up to 100% on qualifying buyers of Russian energy. It does not yet impose that rate on India or China.
The law authorises tariffs of up to 100%, but the country list, rates and effective dates have not yet been published.
US President Donald Trump signed a law on September 18 authorising sanctions and tariffs against Russia and extending existing sanctions on Iran. The White House called it the “Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026”.
The law permits tariffs of up to 100% on goods from countries that meet statutory criteria, including major importers of Russian crude oil or natural gas and countries accused of helping evade sanctions. The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee said the measure is limited to the five largest importers and the top five sanctions-evasion facilitators. The Congressional Research Service said the President can set the rate anywhere up to 100%.
That is authority, not a completed tariff order. The sources reviewed do not show India or China being formally designated, nor do they establish that either country faces a 100% tariff. The White House has signed the framework; the fine print still has to do the work. Washington has not yet published the country list, rates or effective dates. The headline claiming the tariff has already landed is running ahead of its paperwork.