Follow-Up: New Jersey Governor Warns Port Operators That Importing Russian Diesel Violates Federal Law, With Fines Up to the Cargo's Full Value
The Office of the Governor of New Jersey, in Trenton, Mercer County, New Jersey, said on November 2 that Governor Mikie Sherrill had written that day to port and terminal operators across the state, warning that importing Russian diesel violates federal law and can bring severe civil and criminal penalties.
The letter notes that the Ending Importation of Russian Oil Act of 2022 (Public Law 117-109) bans imports of Russian crude oil and petroleum products. The governor's office argues that General License 135, issued by the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on October 9 and purporting to authorize some Russian diesel imports, cannot override that federal statute.
At least one tanker carrying Russian diesel may now be heading for the New Jersey coast, the governor's office said. Under 19 U.S.C. 1595a(b), fines for unlawfully imported merchandise can reach the full value of the cargo, and the statute of limitations is five years.
The warning comes as a tanker carrying about 40,000 tons of Russian ultra-low-sulfur diesel sails toward New York, expected to arrive on November 7, the first such shipment since the 2022 ban took effect. The Trump administration temporarily eased sanctions on Russian diesel after an October call with Vladimir Putin, saying the waiver would run through April 2027, a move questioned by lawmakers of both parties in Congress.
Related: First Russian diesel tanker bound for New York
(Source: Office of the Governor of New Jersey)
Source: Office of the Governor of New Jersey
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：新泽西州长 Mikie Sherrill 官方肖像。照片：新泽西州州长办公室，公共领域，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: Official portrait of New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill. Photo: Office of the Governor of New Jersey, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
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