Trump signs bill targeting China’s Russia energy imports days before Xi’s US visit
Por Nayan Seth — South China Morning Post – News feed
Advertisement 2026 Xi-Trump summits US Economy, Trade & Business Trump signs bill targeting China’s Russia energy imports days before Xi’s US visit
US president gives backing to ‘Lindsey Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026’ before next week’s Xi-Trump summit in Washington
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Nayan Seth in Washington Published: 6:50am, 19 Sep 2026 Updated: 6:59am, 19 Sep 2026 US President Donald Trump on Friday signed a new sanctions bill into law that targets Russia’s leading energy buyers – China and India – just days before Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Washington for a state visit .
The White House issued a brief statement, saying that the President had “signed into law” the “Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026,” which “authorises and expands statutory sanctions, tariffs, and prohibitions on Russia and extends existing sanctions on Iran.”
The US House of Representatives passed the bill by a comfortable 262-159 vote on Wednesday. The Senate cleared the bill last month by an overwhelming 86-11 vote. The legislation, originally backed by the late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham , who died in July, gives Trump the authority to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on the five biggest buyers of Russian oil and natural gas, adding another layer to his tariff-driven approach to foreign policy. Select Voice Select Speed 0.8x 0.9x 1.0x 1.1x 1.2x 1.5x 1.75x 00:00 00:00 1x AI-generated voice
