Trump's 60-day Russia sanctions waiver offers India tariff relief

Donald Trump has paused Russia-linked sanctions and tariffs affecting India for 60 days. The waiver allows Washington to assess economic pressures amid global energy disruptions.

In Short

• Rubio will visit India during his six-day trip covering Uzbekistan
• Washington is weighing energy disruptions from Iran, Houthis and Ukraine
• India has diversified supplies but still relies substantially on Russian energy

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said the waiver of sanctions on Russia and tariffs on countries including India is a 60-day pause to assess the measure's impact on the global and US economies, news agency Press Trust of India reported.

US President Donald Trump on Friday waived key provisions of the Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, also known as the Graham Act, which authorised punitive tariffs on countries buying Russian oil. The move offered relief to India.

Rubio spoke to reporters on Saturday evening at Joint Base Andrews near Washington before leaving for a six-day visit to Uzbekistan and India. He is scheduled to be in India on Monday.

Responding to a question about the waivers, Rubio said: "I think the president wants to take the 60-day period of time to sort of analyse what imposing both sanctions and tariffs will mean to the global economy, and even to the US economy."

Trump's executive order states that the waivers will remain in effect until the President or the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury and the Trade Representative where appropriate, determines that further action is needed.

Speaking to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago resort near Miami, Trump said his decision to waive sanctions under the Graham Act would benefit the US.

"A lot of you don't know what my decision is yet, but we'll figure it out, and you'll figure it out," Trump said. "It's a very good decision, and it's going to be a decision that's good for the country, and I think good for the world because we're really at a world stage."

According to PTI, Rubio said the waiver provisions were included when the Graham Act was passed to allow an assessment of global developments, including pressure on energy supplies because of the Iran war, Houthi attacks in Saudi Arabia and the Russia-Ukraine war.

"So I think you have to take all of that into account and weigh it against each other," Rubio said.

Referring to India, Rubio said: "Then you've got countries like India, for example, that have voluntarily diversified their energy portfolio, but are still getting a substantial amount of energy from Russia because it's hard to pivot from one day to the next."

Rubio said India was an important US ally and partner, and the President needed time to study the situation and decide on the right combination of measures.

Trump's decision to waive the sanctions drew criticism from Republicans and Democrats, who had come together last month to overwhelmingly pass the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act.

Republican Senator Darline Graham of South Carolina also criticised Trump for exempting Russia from the sanctions law championed by and named after her late brother, Lindsey.

"Personally, I would choose to put the pressure on Russia to end the war and get gas prices down, because I don't trust Putin, and I don't trust Russia," said Graham, who was endorsed by Trump to fill the Senate seat left vacant by her brother's death.

Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina described the decision on social media as "beyond irresponsible".

"What part of enforcing a law passed 86-11 by the Senate does the President and his advisors not understand," Tillis said. "It's unconscionable that this administration is capitulating to a Russian dictator who illegally invaded Ukraine."

Tillis said that if Trump wanted to bring down energy prices, he should resolve the Iran war, which he said was largely responsible for the rise in fuel prices, rather than help Vladimir Putin.

Republican Senator John Cornyn of Texas said, "Lindsey would be appalled," referring to the late Senator Lindsey Graham, who had worked extensively on the Bill before his death this summer.

Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts said Trump was disregarding Congress and enabling Putin to continue his war of aggression. She urged fellow lawmakers to act to reverse the decision.

The waiver gives the Trump administration 60 days to assess the economic and geopolitical effects of sanctions and tariffs, while India receives temporary relief from punitive tariffs linked to its purchases of Russian oil.

With PTI Inputs

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