Trump Expected to Decide Within 10 Days on Tariffs for Russian Oil Buyers, U.S. Ambassador Says

President Donald Trump is expected to decide within about 10 days whether to use a new U.S. law to impose sanctions-related tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil and gas, U.S. Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said Thursday.

Speaking at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in New Delhi, Gor said Trump had not yet imposed sanctions on any country under the law and was required to make a determination within 30 days of its passage. The law, the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, was signed on September 18 and lets the president set tariffs of up to 100 percent on imports from major buyers of Russian energy, a measure that could affect India.

Gor said the legislation was not aimed at any single country. “The goal is not to punish anyone. The goal is to try to bring an end to this war,” he said, adding that the administration understood countries could not change their energy arrangements overnight. “I don’t think he expects anyone to overnight turn off their lights,” he said, according to The Hindu BusinessLine’s account of the forum.

He said the objective was to reduce the flow of money supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine, gradually, and to work with partner countries on the change. When asked whether India could receive an exemption or relief, Gor said the decision rested with Trump. Gor noted that the legislation had received overwhelming bipartisan support in the Senate, securing 86 of 100 votes.

Trade talks near the finish line

Gor also said India and the United States were close to concluding a trade deal. “The big picture, the big framework, the big items are done,” he said, adding that what remained were smaller details and new issues that could come up as talks continued.

The negotiations have run for about a year and a half, which Gor described as an unusually fast pace for an agreement of this size. The two sides are reworking an arrangement reached earlier this year after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the law behind the earlier tariff framework unconstitutional, forcing the administration to rebuild parts of the deal. Efforts are now focused on an interim agreement, Gor said.

He added that the United States wanted to widen business cooperation with India across defense, information technology, data centers and chip manufacturing, and said investment by American companies in India could also support jobs in the United States.

Reporting based on coverage by The Hindu BusinessLine and Devdiscourse.