Trump’s Tariffs Targeted Allies—But Left Russia Untouched

As President Trump rolled out a sweeping wave of tariffs in 2025, nearly every major U.S. trading partner—from Canada and Mexico to China and the European Union—was hit with stiff penalties. But one conspicuous exception stood out: Russia. Despite being sanctioned by the U.S. for its invasion of Ukraine, Russia was left off the tariff list entirely, prompting widespread criticism and raising questions about the administration’s motives.

The Trump Administration defended the exemption by claiming that Russia was already under strict sanctions and that there was "no meaningful trade" to target. However, trade data tells a different story. In 2024, the U.S. imported $3.5 billion worth of goods from Russia—more than it did from several other countries that were slapped with tariffs, such as Syria and South Sudan.

Critics argue this undermines the administration’s justification. “If Syria’s $11 million in exports to the U.S. was enough to make the list, how does Russia’s $3.5 billion not qualify?” asked one policy analyst. The explanation, many say, is misleading—and politically convenient.

Trump’s longstanding history of favorable comments toward Russian President Vladimir Putin has only amplified scrutiny. “The absence of Russia on the tariff list did not go unnoticed,” one political observer noted. “It reinforces the perception that Trump continues to give Putin special treatment.” That perception isn’t limited to partisan corners: a recent Reuters poll found that 57% of Americans opposed the new tariffs, including 25% of Republicans, in part because of inconsistencies like the Russia exemption.

Russia wasn’t the only nation left off the list. North Korea, Cuba, and Belarus—also longtime U.S. adversaries under heavy sanctions—were similarly spared. While the White House argued there was no economic rationale to target them, some foreign policy experts said their exclusion weakened the message that tariffs were part of a broader geopolitical strategy.

As the trade war escalates, Trump’s decision to go easy on Russia continues to spark debate—not just about economics, but about loyalty, optics, and whose interests U.S. policy is really serving.