Trump's tariffs target globe, but Russia escapes notice
President Donald Trump announced the imposition of reciprocal tariffs on goods from 180 countries; however, notably absent from the list was Russia. "It's possible that an exemption mechanism was applied for critical raw materials," noted Jakub Jakóbowski, Deputy Director of the Center for Eastern Studies, in a conversation with money.pl.
"Indeed, countries such as North Korea, Cuba, and Iran—traditionally under sanctions—were not on the list of new tariffs. So, this is not an exception reserved only for Russia. However, suppose we use the same logic the Americans apply to all trade relations. In that case, Russia should be subject to tariffs because the United States still imports goods from it worth about 3 billion dollars annually, despite the existing sanctions," said Jakub Jakóbowski, Deputy Director of the Center for Eastern Studies, to money.pl.
"However, it is possible that, even if Russia were on the list, a mechanism for exemptions related to critical raw materials, such as timber, energy, or other resources that will not be subject to tariffs regardless of the country of origin, would apply. This is due to the structure of Russian exports to the USA. Nevertheless, the absence of Russia from this list—even if not intended as a political signal—was perceived as such, especially considering that Ukraine was included," added the expert.
The USA imposes tariffs on 189 countries
Donald Trump announced on Wednesday, during "Liberation Day," retaliatory tariffs on the entire world: 10% on all imports and 25% on foreign cars. He presented a list of countries and the applicable tariff rates—20% for the European Union.
One of the biggest surprises of the announcement was Russia's omission. Russia remains under sanctions due to the war in Ukraine. As the White House spokeswoman explained, Russia was not included due to existing sanctions that have practically eliminated trade between the two countries.
"Russia is not on this list because the sanctions related to the war in Ukraine have already reduced trade between these two countries to zero," said an administration representative. It is worth mentioning that other sanctioned countries, such as Belarus, Cuba, and North Korea, were also not subjected to new tariffs.
US sanctions on Russia
Since the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the United States has imposed a wide range of economic, financial, and personal sanctions on Russia. Major actions included a ban on importing Russian oil, gas, and coal; cutting off the largest Russian banks from the American financial system; and restricting the export of advanced technologies, including semiconductors and military equipment.
The USA also sanctioned many Russian oligarchs, politicians, and their families, including President Vladimir Putin and Minister Sergey Lavrov. Currently, the US administration is considering imposing harsh sanctions on Russia, targeting its "shadow fleet." These restrictions aim at curtailing illegal oil shipments through the Baltic Sea.
