New Russia law authorizes US tariffs of up to 100% on major energy buyers

On September 18, Reuters reported that President Donald Trump signed legislation requiring tariffs of up to 100% within 30 days on goods from the five largest importers of Russian oil or gas, certain new purchasers and leading sanctions-evasion facilitators. The statute does not name target countries or specify how the rankings will be calculated, leaving significant executive discretion, while Reuters identified China and India among the largest Russian-oil buyers. Companies should map indirect exposure by supplier country and product origin before designations or tariff schedules are announced, because the legal trigger is broader than dealings with Russian entities themselves. Counsel should also test change-in-law, tariff-allocation and termination clauses against a scenario in which a previously ordinary source country becomes subject to sweeping duties with limited notice.