The key facts

  • Russia's Ministry of Energy proposed extending the full diesel export ban until February 1
  • Exceptions for suppliers to the world market are being prepared for November
  • New Jersey authorities threatened to block the unloading of Russian diesel fuel in the US

The ban is being extended, but with exceptions

Russian authorities are working on exceptions to the current ban on diesel fuel exports for suppliers to the world market in November. This was stated by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, whose remarks are cited by Gazeta.Ru with reference to RIA Novosti. According to him, the ban is currently in effect until the end of October, and the Ministry of Energy has prepared a proposal to extend the full export ban on diesel until February 1, that is, including January. At the same time, as in October, exceptions for supplies to the world market are being prepared for November.

Obstacles on the American front

On October 30 Financial Times reported, that the authorities of the US state of New Jersey threatened to block the unloading of Russian diesel fuel, which is being shipped to the United States under the agreements between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. A significant part of the largest oil hub on the US East Coast is located in this state. Earlier, American congressmen spoke out against the deal: oil companies were threatened with fines of up to $1 million and imprisonment, and a bill to revoke import permits was introduced in the House of Representatives.

Context

Earlier, Novak stated that Russia had accumulated the necessary volume of winter diesel. Thus, the extension of the ban is accompanied by two parallel processes: the preparation of targeted exceptions for external supplies and the continuing resistance to accepting Russian fuel in the United States, which is reported by American and British publications. The publications do not report a final decision on extending the ban or on the composition of the November exceptions.