Politics

Senate passes Russia sanctions package granting limited tariff authority to Trump

A strong majority of Senate Democrats voted for the measure despite internal warnings that the administration could misuse the power.

Updated Aug 27, 2026 · 18:35 UTC1 reports

The short version

The U.S. Senate passed a sanctions package against Russia that grants President Donald Trump limited tariff authority.
The legislation permits tariffs of up to 500% on Russian imports and up to 100% on the top five countries purchasing Russian energy, including China and India.
Most Senate Democrats supported the package to penalize Russia, while a small group of bipartisan dissenters warned the authority could be abused to raise prices for Americans.

Nearly the entire Senate Democratic caucus voted in favor of the sanctions package, with only nine Democrats and Republican Senator Rand Paul voting against it.[Fox News]
The legislation allows for tariffs of up to 500% on Russian imports and up to 100% on the top five nations purchasing Russian energy, such as China and India.[Fox News]
Senators Ron Wyden and Elizabeth Warren opposed the tariff authority, warning that the Trump administration could exploit the leverage to threaten trading partners and increase costs for consumers.[Fox News]
Senator Richard Blumenthal, a co-sponsor of the package, argued that legal limits built into the legislation mean the courts will restrain Trump if he attempts to exceed the specified authority.[Fox News]
Senator Raphael Warnock secured a commitment from U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to ensure the package's tariffs remain strictly confined to the Kremlin's top five energy buyers.[Fox News]

Whether the Trump administration will abide by the legal guardrails restricting tariffs to only the specified five energy partners remains a point of concern among critics.[Fox News]