Hungary Asks U.S. to Waive Tariffs Over Russian Oil Purchases

Hungary has asked U.S. officials to refrain from applying tariffs under a recently enacted U.S. law that grants the president authority to impose duties on major importers of Russian oil and gas. The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, signed by President Donald Trump, allows the president to raise import duties up to 100% ad valorem on goods from any country that was among the five largest importers of Russian-origin crude or natural gas if that country knowingly makes new purchases after the law’s enactment.

The request was made as Hungary transitions from the long rule of Viktor Orban, who maintained close ties with Russia and continued buying Russian oil after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Orban’s government resisted giving up those imports, leaving Hungary among the world’s larger importers of Russian crude — a group that also includes China, India and Turkey.

Prime Minister Peter Magyar, who defeated Orban in a landslide earlier this year, has pledged to diversify Hungary’s energy sources and to move away from the previous pro-Russia policy. Marton Hajdu, chair of the Foreign Policy Committee in Hungary’s parliament and a member of Magyar’s ruling party, traveled to Washington and told lawmakers from both parties that Budapest is working to reduce dependence on Russian energy. Hajdu posted on Facebook that he asked U.S. officials to help Hungary secure multiple energy suppliers and to avoid imposing tariffs while the country seeks to break free from Russian imports.

Hajdu framed the outreach as part of a broader push to build Hungarian-American relations on long-term shared interests and values that transcend electoral cycles. The appeal highlights the practical tension between a U.S. statute that enables rapid punitive measures against major Russian energy buyers and a Hungarian government that says it intends to change its sourcing but needs time and external support to do so.