On 16 October 2026 the White House published a presidential order titled “Implementing the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026”. The order says the President signed the Act (22 U.S.C. 10802 et seq.) into law on 18 September 2026. The Act provides for sanctions on foreign persons, restrictions on U.S. persons, and extra duties on goods from Russia and certain other countries.

What the order sets — and then waives

  • Sec. 2(a): duty on goods from the Russian Federation increased by 500 percent ad valorem.
  • Sec. 2(b): 100 percent extra duty on goods from the largest five importers of Russian-origin crude oil and natural gas if they knowingly make new purchases on or after 18 October 2026.
  • Sec. 2(c): 100 percent extra duty on goods from the top five facilitators of Russian oil sanctions evasion.
  • Sec. 4(a): the President “hereby waive[s] the application of any duties” under sections 112 and 113 of the Act “or this order”.
  • Sec. 4(b)–(c): waives the sanctions and restrictions in Act sections 102(a), 102(d), 102(e), 103–111 and 117. It certifies to Congress, as section 115(b) requires, that the waivers are in the national interest.
  • Sec. 4(d): the waivers stay in effect until the President or the Secretary of State decides “further action is appropriate”. The U.S. Trade Representative must monitor Russian oil and gas purchases and sanctions evasion and report back (Sec. 3).
“Nothing in this order affects any sanctions or other measures provided for under any Executive Order” issued under the Russia national emergency continued on 24 March 2026, the waiver section says.

The order names no countries as “largest importers” or “facilitators”. It leaves those lists to USTR monitoring. It also delegates most of the Act’s functions to the Secretaries of State, Treasury and Energy and to USTR.

How this fits the diesel story

Separately, Treasury’s OFAC General License 135 (9 October) already authorizes transactions in Russian-origin diesel through 7 April 2027. The Graham Act order does not change GL 135. OFAC’s recent-actions page shows no new Russia-related general license since 9 October as of this morning.

Citizen impact: With the duties waived, U.S. importers and consumers do not face a sudden 500% tariff on Russian goods, or 100% tariffs on everything from the biggest buyers of Russian energy. Those duties would have been paid at the border and passed through to prices. Who gains: U.S. buyers of goods from large Russian-oil-importing countries, and the administration’s room to negotiate. Who loses: Congress’s intent to make the penalties automatic is set aside for now, along with Ukraine-aligned pressure on Moscow’s oil revenue. The waiver can be revoked at any time by the President or the Secretary of State.

What this piece refuses

Do not write that Trump “lifted all Russia sanctions.” The order expressly preserves executive-order sanctions under the existing national emergency. Do not name China, India or any other country as hit or spared. The order publishes no list. Trump also described Russian diesel deliveries on social media. Teabag is not publishing those volumes because no Treasury, Energy Department or Russian government document in hand confirms them. Do not claim the waiver will lower U.S. diesel prices by any set amount.

Bottom line

Verified as of 19 October 2026 from the White House order text: the Graham Act’s 500% Russia duty, its 100% secondary duties and most of its new sanctions are formally set out and waived on the same day, with certification to Congress. Existing Russia EO sanctions and GL 135 remain. Watch for the section 115 report to Congress, any congressional move to override, and USTR’s monitoring reports.