US suspends 100% tariffs on India and China

Bangla Press Desk: US President Donald Trump has temporarily suspended the implementation of a controversial law that threatened to impose a 100 percent tariff on imports from India and China. Citing "national interest," Trump issued an executive order to waive these measures just one day before a series of stringent sanctions and tariffs against Russia were set to take effect. This provides significant relief to major oil-importing nations, including India and China, which had been facing the prospect of these US tariffs.
According to NDTV, Trump signed a bill last month titled the "Lindsey and Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026." The legislation mandated a 30-day window—ending on October 18—to impose a 100 percent tariff on goods imported from the top five countries purchasing Russian oil: India, China, Slovakia, Hungary, and Azerbaijan. However, on the night of Friday, October 16—just one day before the deadline—Trump issued an executive order to waive the tariffs.
This suspension is temporary; Trump retains the authority to reimpose the tariffs in the future.
With this US waiver, India has, for the time being, avoided the burden of a 100 percent tariff. Last month, India had stated that it would take all necessary steps to ensure energy security for its 1.4 billion people. Furthermore, in discussions with the United States, India emphasized that such tariffs would not only harm bilateral relations but also have a severely detrimental impact on the global energy market.
NDTV reports that Trump has recently shown a more positive stance toward Russia. Despite the enactment of strict legislation—framed in the context of the situation in Ukraine—that mandates 100 percent tariffs, Trump has demonstrated reluctance to enforce them. In fact, the Trump administration has recently concluded a new agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the supply of diesel to the United States, with an initial shipment of 300,000 tonnes expected. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has strongly criticized the diesel deal between the United States and Russia, labeling it a "weak decision."
In response, Trump retorted that Zelenskyy has failed to end the war or reach a settlement, suggesting that it is now time for Ukraine to choose a new president or leader.
BP/TD