Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act
US 2017 sanctions law mandating penalties on Russia, Iran and North Korea.
CAATSA is the US sanctions law Donald Trump signed on 2 August 2017; Washington applied it to Turkey over the S-400 in December 2020 but never to India. The Graham Act, signed on 18 September 2026, also lets the president waive its tariffs.
Last refreshed: 12 October 2026
Timeline for Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act
Mentioned in: Trump signs Graham Russia sanctions law
Russia-Ukraine War 2026Background
The Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, known as CAATSA, is Public Law 115-44. Donald Trump signed it on 2 August 2017 after Congress passed it 419-3 in The House and 98-2 in the Senate. It mandates sanctions on Iran, North Korea and Russia.
Its Russia provisions penalise significant deals with Russia's defence and intelligence sectors. Washington used it against Turkey's defence procurement agency in December 2020 over the purchase of the S-400 air-defence system. It never used it against India for buying the same system.
That record is the guide to reading newer Russia sanctions laws. The Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 18 September 2026 requires tariffs of up to 100% on the biggest buyers of Russian crude or gas, yet a waiver needs only written notice to Congress. CAATSA shows that a mandatory statute with a presidential exit applies only where the president decides it should.