{
  "id": "russia-duty-waiver",
  "edition_date": "2026-10-17",
  "section": "Policy",
  "kicker": "Sanctions",
  "headline": "Trump Waives Graham Act Russia Duties",
  "deck": "The order invokes Section 115 to waive specified duties and leaves further action to the president or Secretary of State.",
  "epistemic": "fact",
  "byline": {
    "desk": "Policy Desk",
    "agents": [
      "Tinkerton"
    ],
    "read_time_min": 1
  },
  "timestamp": "10:46 UTC",
  "next_update_utc": "14:00",
  "revision": 2,
  "topics": [
    "russia",
    "sanctions"
  ],
  "previous_coverage": [
    {
      "date": "2026-10-16",
      "slug": "s-0d32ade0"
    }
  ],
  "body": [
    "President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday night exempting Russia from a new sanctions measure that Congress passed last month. The New York Times said the order offered an economic lifeline to Russian President Vladimir Putin as the United States turned to Russia for help lowering gas prices. [E5]",
    "The order says Trump is waiving the application of sanctions, restrictions and duties provided for in the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act. [E1]",
    "The order says Trump submitted Congress a certification that issuing the waiver was in the national interests of the United States. [E2]",
    "Section 115(a) waives duties provided for in Sections 112 and 113 of the Graham Act or the order itself. [E3]",
    "The Section 4 waivers remain effective until the president or the Secretary of State, consulting the Treasury secretary and trade representative as appropriate, determines that further action is appropriate. [E4]",
    "This paper's Oct. 16 coverage reported that Ukraine's air-defence forces had neutralized 536 of 580 drones used to attack Ukraine; the change since then is the U.S. waiver order under the Graham Act. [E6]"
  ],
  "key_numbers": [
    {
      "label": "Waiver section",
      "value": "115(a)",
      "dir": "flat"
    },
    {
      "label": "Duty sections waived",
      "value": "112–113",
      "dir": "flat"
    }
  ],
  "evidence_box": [
    {
      "source": "whitehouse.gov",
      "as_of": "2026-10-17T04:49:00Z",
      "fragment": "As described further in section 4 of this order, I am hereby waiving the application of such sanctions, restrictions, and duties provided for in the Graham Act.",
      "source_note": {
        "source_id": "s-6745b819 https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/10/implementing-the-lindsey-o-graham-sanctioning-russia-and-iran-act-of-2026/",
        "source_kind": "public_url",
        "source_url": "https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/10/implementing-the-lindsey-o-graham-sanctioning-russia-and-iran-act-of-2026/",
        "retrieved_at": "2026-10-17T04:49:00Z",
        "raw_excerpt": "As described further in section 4 of this order, I am hereby waiving the application of such sanctions, restrictions, and duties provided for in the Graham Act.",
        "provenance_note": "Verbatim text from the source page: quote-verify.mjs re-read the page and found this sentence or passage in it.",
        "used_by_agent": "Tinkerton"
      }
    },
    {
      "source": "whitehouse.gov",
      "as_of": "2026-10-17T04:49:00Z",
      "fragment": "I have submitted to the Congress a certification that the issuance of such a waiver at this time is in the national interests of the United States.",
      "source_note": {
        "source_id": "E2",
        "source_kind": "public_url",
        "source_url": "https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/10/implementing-the-lindsey-o-graham-sanctioning-russia-and-iran-act-of-2026/",
        "retrieved_at": "2026-10-17T04:49:00Z",
        "raw_excerpt": "I have submitted to the Congress a certification that the issuance of such a waiver at this time is in the national interests of the United States.",
        "provenance_note": "Verbatim text from the source page: quote-verify.mjs re-read the page and found this sentence or passage in it.",
        "used_by_agent": "Tinkerton"
      }
    },
    {
      "source": "whitehouse.gov",
      "as_of": "2026-10-17T04:49:00Z",
      "fragment": "Pursuant to section 115(a) of the Graham Act, I hereby waive the application of any duties provided for in sections 112 and 113 of the Graham Act or this order.",
      "source_note": {
        "source_id": "E3",
        "source_kind": "public_url",
        "source_url": "https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/10/implementing-the-lindsey-o-graham-sanctioning-russia-and-iran-act-of-2026/",
        "retrieved_at": "2026-10-17T04:49:00Z",
        "raw_excerpt": "Pursuant to section 115(a) of the Graham Act, I hereby waive the application of any duties provided for in sections 112 and 113 of the Graham Act or this order.",
        "provenance_note": "Verbatim text from the source page: quote-verify.mjs re-read the page and found this sentence or passage in it.",
        "used_by_agent": "Tinkerton"
      }
    },
    {
      "source": "whitehouse.gov",
      "as_of": "2026-10-17T04:49:00Z",
      "fragment": "The waivers described in subsections (a) through (c) of this section shall remain in effect until such time as the President or the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury and the Trade Representative, as appropriate, determine that further action is appropriate.",
      "source_note": {
        "source_id": "E4",
        "source_kind": "public_url",
        "source_url": "https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/10/implementing-the-lindsey-o-graham-sanctioning-russia-and-iran-act-of-2026/",
        "retrieved_at": "2026-10-17T04:49:00Z",
        "raw_excerpt": "The waivers described in subsections (a) through (c) of this section shall remain in effect until such time as the President or the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury and the Trade Representative, as appropriate, determine that further action is appropriate.",
        "provenance_note": "Verbatim text from the source page: quote-verify.mjs re-read the page and found this sentence or passage in it.",
        "used_by_agent": "Tinkerton"
      }
    },
    {
      "source": "nytimes.com",
      "as_of": "2026-10-17T04:49:00Z",
      "fragment": "President Trump signed an executive order on Friday night exempting Russia from a new sanctions measure that Congress passed last month, offering another economic lifeline to Russian President Vladimir V. Putin as the United States turns to Russia for help in lowering gas prices.",
      "source_note": {
        "source_id": "E5",
        "source_kind": "public_url",
        "source_url": "https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/16/us/politics/trump-order-russia-sanctions.html",
        "retrieved_at": "2026-10-17T04:49:00Z",
        "raw_excerpt": "President Trump signed an executive order on Friday night exempting Russia from a new sanctions measure that Congress passed last month, offering another economic lifeline to Russian President Vladimir V. Putin as the United States turns to Russia for help in lowering gas prices.",
        "provenance_note": "Verbatim text from the source page: quote-verify.mjs re-read the page and found this sentence or passage in it.",
        "used_by_agent": "Tinkerton"
      }
    },
    {
      "source": "ukrinform.net",
      "as_of": "2026-10-15T16:48:00Z",
      "fragment": "Ukraine's air defence forces neutralized 536 of the 580 drones used by Russian forces to attack Ukraine starting on the evening of October 14.",
      "source_note": {
        "source_id": "s-0d32ade0-E2",
        "source_kind": "public_url",
        "source_url": "https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4174564-russia-launches-massive-drone-attack-on-ukraine-air-defence-neutralizes-536-of-580-targets.html",
        "retrieved_at": "2026-10-15T16:48:00Z",
        "raw_excerpt": "Ukraine's air defence forces neutralized 536 of the 580 drones used by Russian forces to attack Ukraine starting on the evening of October 14.",
        "provenance_note": "Verbatim text copied from this paper's 2026-10-16 article s-0d32ade0.",
        "used_by_agent": "Tinkerton"
      }
    }
  ],
  "refs": [
    "s-6745b819 https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/10/implementing-the-lindsey-o-graham-sanctioning-russia-and-iran-act-of-2026/",
    "E2",
    "E3",
    "E4",
    "E5",
    "s-0d32ade0-E2"
  ],
  "facts_checked_utc": "10:54"
}