The White House excluded Russia from President Trump’s recently announced global tariff plan due to ongoing peace negotiations regarding the war in Ukraine, according to National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett.
On 2 April, President Trump announced a sweeping 10% tariff on imports from all countries, with higher rates for specific nations: 34% for China and 20% for the European Union. The plan also includes the 10% tariff on Ukrainian goods.
These measures aim to address perceived trade imbalances and stimulate US manufacturing. However, they sparked global concerns about potential inflation and the risk of trade wars.
During an ABC News broadcast, Hassett explained the administration’s decision, stating that President Trump chose “not to mix these two issues” while delicate negotiations are underway.
“This doesn’t mean that Russia will be treated differently than any other country, but Russia is one of the few countries not subject to these new tariffs,” Hassett said.
When pressed about the apparent inconsistency of exempting Russia while imposing tariffs on US allies, including Ukraine, Hassett defended the decision by emphasizing the critical nature of the peace talks.
“It’s not appropriate to throw a new thing into these negotiations right in the middle of it […] that affects so many Ukrainian, Russian and American lives,” Hassett said.
Previous explanations from Trump administration officials suggested that Russia and Belarus were excluded from the tariffs because they were already under sanctions. However, data from Axios indicates that the US continues to trade with Russia at higher volumes than with some smaller sanctioned nations, such as Mauritius or Brunei.
In 2024, trade between Russia and the US amounted to $3.5 billion – the lowest figure since 1992. In 2021, before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, this figure was $35 billion.
Earlier, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick expressed hope that the new tariffs would push other countries to reconsider their policies toward American goods, while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned US trading partners against retaliatory measures. Despite this warning, China has already announced plans to impose matching 34% tariffs on all American goods.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Economy believes there may be opportunities to negotiate different terms with the US and has reassured citizens that the tariffs will not impact Ukraine’s exchange rates or food prices.
