Serious escalation: On the U.S., Russia Sanctions Act and India

The U.S. Russia Sanctions Act , now signed into law by President Donald Trump , and its resultant impending tariffs, present a new and substantially different escalation of tensions between the U.S. and India. The law provides the U.S. President the authority to levy tariffs of up to 100% on countries such as India that import large quantities of Russian oil and gas. This is more serious than the penal tariffs that Mr. Trump had levied earlier. The escalation last year of reciprocal tariffs to 50% on India’s import of Russian oil was based on an Executive Order, and could be rescinded through the same method. This latest Act has been passed by the U.S. Congress and so carries a higher order of legal permanence and authority. Mr. Trump will have to justify in writing to Congress any waiver he wants to provide.