Trump declines 500% tariffs on Russian goods

US President Donald Trump has declined to impose tariffs of up to 500% on Russian goods, according to an executive order published on the White House website. Trump cited Article 115 of the Graham law to waive tariffs under Articles 112 and 113. The waived measures included 500% tariffs on Russian products and 100% tariffs on goods from countries among the top five buyers of Russian energy. This follows Congress passing a sweeping sanctions bill on September 16, which had proposed these duties against major purchasers of Russian oil and gas. The decision comes after an October 9 phone call between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, which largely focused on Ukraine. Earlier, there were reports of US efforts to ease sanctions on Russia's "shadow fleet" vessels.