Indonesia Kept Russian Oil Import Plans Despite U.S. Tariffs
Importers of Russian energy face new U.S. tariffs of up to 100 percent for maintaining trade agreements.
Updated on Sept. 24, 2026 in International Trade
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Indonesia has confirmed it will continue importing Russian crude oil despite newly signed U.S. legislation that authorizes tariffs of up to 100 percent on goods from top buyers of Russian energy. The trade policy applies to nations that continue purchases 30 days after the law takes effect or assist Russia in evading existing sanctions.
Why it matters
The legislation introduces significant compliance risks and cost structures for international operators involved in energy supply chains. This shift follows earlier U.S. efforts in 2026 to temporarily waive sanctions on specific Russian energy shipments to alleviate global supply crunches related to the war on Iran.
The U.S. policy mandates potential tariffs of up to 100 percent on exports from the five largest purchasers of Russian oil or gas. These measures follow a year where the U.S. government twice temporarily lifted sanctions on specific shipments to address energy price volatility.
The players
Donald Trump
The current President of the United States who signed the tariff legislation.
Airlangga Hartarto
The Indonesian Minister who confirmed that national import plans remain unchanged.
The details
The tariff policy targets countries that knowingly purchase Russian energy or assist in sanction evasion. Indonesia, which began its government-to-government Russian crude imports in April 2026, has signaled it will not alter its procurement strategy. Businesses operating within these supply chains must now account for the 100 percent tariff threshold as a potential cost-prohibitive compliance risk for all goods originating from affected nations.
Timeline
Indonesia began importing Russian crude in April 2026.
United States President Donald Trump signed the tariff legislation in September 2026.
Minister Airlangga confirmed no change to import plans on September 23, 2026.
Market Landscape
This move follows the 2026 United States tariff legislation on Russian energy buyers, signaling a shift in trade enforcement. It directly contradicts the previous period of intermittent sanctions relief seen during the earlier stages of the conflict.
Operators in international logistics and energy procurement should review the 30-day compliance window for their trade partners. Businesses importing goods from nations identified as top Russian energy buyers must perform a risk assessment on current contracts to avoid the 100 percent tariff impact.
The takeaway
The U.S. tariff policy creates an immediate trade risk that necessitates a full review of vendor origin and energy sourcing dependencies. Operators should monitor official U.S. government notices regarding the designation of top Russian energy buyers to determine if their supply base is exposed to the 100 percent tariff threshold.
Further reading
For broader trends in global supply chain regulations, see International Trade.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Jakarta Post.
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