CAATSA (2017)
Precedent for Secondary Sanctions on Russia
The Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) was signed into US law on 2 August 2017 and remains the primary precedent for how the US has applied secondary sanctions tied to Russia-related transactions. Under CAATSA, the US President must impose sanctions on entities conducting "significant transactions" with Russia's defence or intelligence sectors, subject to presidential waiver authority.
- Signed: 2 August 2017; covers secondary sanctions relating to Russia, Iran, and North Korea
- India's 2018 purchase of five S-400 air defence missile system units from Russia (a $5 billion deal) exposed it to potential CAATSA sanctions
- The US extended India a case-by-case waiver rather than formal sanctions, citing strategic partnership considerations, though no blanket waiver was legislated
- CAATSA sanctions are targeted at specific "significant transactions," unlike the new 2026 Act's broader tariff-based approach tied to aggregate energy trade volumes
● Tracked since July 15, 2026 · last seen September 20, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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