Russian Diesel Heads to US After Trump-Putin Agreement
LSEG data shows a tanker carrying 40,000 metric tons of Russian diesel is due in the U.S. on November 7, following an export agreement as Trump seeks to lower fuel prices ahead of the midterms.
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A tanker carrying 40,000 metric tons of Russian diesel is sailing toward New York following an agreement between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, LSEG shipping data showed Friday.
The Malta-flagged Agioi Fanendes loaded ultra-low sulfur diesel at Russia’s Baltic port of Primorsk on October 22.
Its expected U.S. arrival is November 7, four days after the American midterm elections.
The shipment follows Moscow’s agreement to end its self-imposed diesel export ban and supply international buyers, including the U.S., under the arrangement reached by the two presidents.
Trump’s Fuel Price Push
Trump has sought to bring down diesel prices before the November 3 vote by waiving provisions of a new Russia sanctions law.
He has also threatened to halt U.S. diesel exports unless European countries release additional fuel from emergency stockpiles.
On October 9, Trump announced that Russia would export an initial 300,000 metric tons, equivalent to 2.25 million barrels.
He outlined a further 500,000 tons for November and 1 million tons “immediately thereafter”.
Russia Rebuilds Exports
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said last week that monthly diesel exports could reach 3 million to 3.5 million tons by year-end, restoring the country’s usual export volumes.
Other diesel cargoes were loaded at Primorsk last week, although their ultimate destinations remain uncertain.
Most vessels were signaling Gibraltar, the Atlantic Coast or Port Said, according to LSEG data.
Russia’s diesel trade has largely shifted toward Brazil, Türkiye and African countries since the EU’s full embargo on Russian petroleum products took effect in February 2023 over the war in Ukraine.
Ahmet Koçak
Ahmet Koçak is a news editor at Clash Report based in Istanbul. He previously served as Deputy Managing Editor at Türkiye Today, helping launch the digital news platform in 2023, and spent three years as Senior Editor at Daily Sabah. His work focuses on breaking news, geopolitics, international affairs, and digital journalism.
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