President Donald Trump recently imposed extensive tariffs on imports from 185 nations globally, yet Russia and Belarus have been excluded from this measure. On Thursday, Trump unveiled retaliatory equal tariffs targeting goods coming into the U.S. from these numerous countries. Notably, both Russia and its close partner Belarus were omitted from his tariff list. In contrast, Ukraine did face these new economic sanctions.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant informed Fox News that current sanctions had effectively halted all trade with Russia. In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, both the US and numerous other nations, notably European ones, intensified their pre-existing economic penalties against Russia. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt emphasized that these US-imposed sanctions alongside the conflict in Ukraine would block “any significant commercial activity” with Russia. However, is this assertion accurate?
Strategic goods from Russia
As reported by the United States Census Bureau, trade between the US and Russia has plummeted significantly since Russia launched its comprehensive invasion of Ukraine. The figures show a drop from approximately $36 billion (€32.9 billion) in 2021 down to about $3.5 billion (€3.2 billion) in 2024.
Bessent's claim that there is no trade with Russia therefore fails to reflect the reality that imports from the country, reduced as they may be, remain significant for the US, particularly because they involve strategic goods such as fertilizers and inorganic chemicals.
Despite trade with Russia now being only one-tenth of what it used to be, the exclusion of these imports from Trump's new tariff list cannot solely be attributed to current sanctions and the decrease in import numbers.
In contrast, Washington has imposed a 27% tariff on goods coming from Kazakhstan. Despite this, the trading volume between the U.S. and Kazakhstan mirrors that of Russia, totaling approximately $3.4 billion (€3.1 billion). Of this amount, about $2.3 billion (€2.1 billion) represents imports into the United States. Meanwhile, commerce with Ukraine stands slightly higher at roughly $2.9 billion (€2.6 billion), but still only includes $1.2 billion (€1.1 billion) worth of American imports. Regardless of these figures, Ukraine finds itself targeted by President Trump’s plan for an additional 10% punitive duty.
'Symbolic leniency in appearance'
Even though several sanctioned nations like Venezuela appear on Trump's tariff list, others under sanctions such as Russia, North Korea, Cuba, and Belarus have been excluded from these new policies.
"As a form of symbolic leniency," political analyst and specialist in American studies Alexandra Filippenko said to DW.
The U.S. hasn’t released any data regarding trade with North Korea, Cuba, and Belarus. However, UN estimations suggest that annual two-way trade between the U.S. and Belarus totals hundreds of millions of dollars. For instance, in 2024, imports from Belarus to the U.S., consisting of goods valued at $21 million (approximately €19.1 million), were recorded.
Therefore, the tariff list doesn’t seem to rely solely on a nation’s trading volume. Even minuscule or unpopulated regions like the Heard and McDonald Islands – remote Australian territories in the southern Indian Ocean that have virtually no significance for U.S. commerce – are impacted by these measures.
Both Canada and Mexico are absent from the updated list as well; however, many products we import from these nations are already subjected to tariffs amounting to 25 percent.
Why is Russia exempt?
Alexandra Filippenko, a political scientist, interprets President Trump’s choice to exempt Russia from new tariffs as evidence that strengthening ties with Moscow ranks high among his priorities. She stated, “Russian officials have grasped this political message.” This statement was made following a Telegram posting by Kremlin representative Kirill Dmitriev during his visit to Washington. The post indicated that revitalizing communication between Russia and the U.S. would be an arduous yet progressive endeavor; however, every interaction and candid discussion brings them closer toward their objective.
Nina Khrushcheva, a professor of international affairs at the New School in New York, believes that diplomatic relations between the two nations might dissuade Trump from enforcing tariffs on Russia. She stated to DW, “Political pressure on Russia seems inevitable, yet during Dmitriev’s visit, such tariffs would likely prove unhelpful.” However, Khrushcheva noted that should they choose otherwise, the Trump administration has the option to introduce these tariffs at a future date.
Oleg Buklemishev, who leads the Center for Economic Policy Research at Moscow State University, views Trump's choices regarding Russia and Ukraine as entirely lacking in economic rationale.
He views the choice against imposing extra duties on Russia as entirely politically motivated, even though Washington asserts that their two-way commerce is minimal. The ongoing delivery of Russian nuclear materials, fertilizer, and precious metal into the U.S. means steep tariffs might result in increased energy expenses—something contrary to Trump’s objectives, according to Buklemishev.
He highlighted that the present trade volume with Russia, significantly reduced compared to before, pales in comparison to what can be seen in either the European or the Chinese markets.
Buklemishev stated that a resurgence of strong trade ties between Russia and the U.S. remains unlikely. He explained, “Despite any improvement in relations, we cannot revert to our former trading levels. Various constraints such as financial limitations, logistics hurdles, and ongoing sanctions will persist, and China has already begun filling the void within the Russian marketplace.”
The article was initially composed in German.
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