Follow-Up: First Russian Diesel Tanker Heads to New York: 40,000 Tons of Ultra-Low-Sulphur Diesel Due November 7, First Since the 2022 Ban
A tanker carrying Russian diesel is heading to New York, Reuters reported exclusively on October 23, in what would be the first U.S. import of Russian diesel since Washington banned Russian energy imports in 2022. Shipping data showed the Malta-flagged medium-sized tanker Agioi Fanendes loaded 40,000 metric tons of ultra-low-sulphur diesel at Russia's Baltic port of Primorsk on October 22 and is expected to arrive in the United States on November 7. The identity of the buyer and seller was not immediately known.
The cargo is part of an agreement reached between the United States and Russia on October 9. President Donald Trump announced that day that Russia would immediately supply 300,000 metric tons of diesel to the U.S. and global markets, followed by 500,000 tons in November and 1 million tons thereafter. The same day, the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control issued General License 135, authorizing transactions involving the sale, delivery, offloading and importation of Russian-origin diesel through April 7, 2027. Trump also waived parts of the new sanctions law known as the Graham Act and pressed European countries to release more diesel from emergency reserves, as part of efforts to bring down soaring U.S. diesel prices.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed on October 23 that the first tanker under the deal had departed, but did not specify whether it was bound for the U.S. market. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak has said Russia could raise diesel exports to between 3 million and 3.5 million tons per month by year-end. U.S. diesel prices remain near record highs; critics noted that 40,000 tons covers only a few hours of U.S. diesel use, limiting its practical effect on prices.
Source: GSM·USA
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 成品油油轮停靠在炼油厂码头（资料图，Calistemon 摄，CC BY-SA 4.0）— via Wikimedia Commons / A products tanker berthed at a refinery jetty (file photo; Calistemon, CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons
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