A tanker carrying 40,000 metric tons of Russian diesel is heading toward New York, ship-tracking data showed on Friday, following an agreement reached this month between Moscow and U.S. President Donald Trump.
Trump announced the surprise dealto import Russian diesel as part of his efforts to bring down soaring diesel prices ahead of Nov. 3 U.S. mid-term elections.
Trump also waived parts of a new U.S. sanctions law against Russia and threatened Europe with a U.S. diesel export ban unless countries released more from their emergency reserves to help ease prices.
The Malta-flagged medium-sized tanker Agioi Fanendes was loaded with 40,000 metric tons of ultra-low sulphur diesel in the Russian Baltic port of Primorsk on Oct. 22, according to LSEG shipping data. It is expected to arrive in the United States on Nov. 7.
The identity of the buyer and seller was not immediately known. The cargo will be the first imported by the U.S. since former President Joe Biden announced a ban on imports of Russian oil and petroleum products in 2022.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak has said that additional shipments will follow as Russian and U.S. companies work out contracts for the deliveries.
President Vladimir Putin's envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who also heads Russia's sovereign wealth fund, said last week that the U.S. Treasury had asked the fund to help sort out tricky payment issues relating to the agreement.
The deal also involved Russia agreeing to lift a self-imposed ban on diesel exports.
Trump announced on Oct. 9 that Russia would immediately export 300,000 metric tons, or 2.25 million barrels, to the US and global markets, followed by 500,000 tons in November and 1 million tons "immediately thereafter."
Novak has said that Russia would be able to increase its diesel exports to its usual levels of 3-3.5 million tons per month by the end of the year.
Last week, export cargoes were loaded in the Russian Baltic port of Primorsk, but their final destinations are not clear, with most tankers signalling Gibraltar, the Atlantic Coast or Port Said, LSEG shipping data showed.
Since the EU imposed a full embargo on imports of Russian oil products in February 2023 over the war in Ukraine, Russia has exported diesel mainly to Brazil and Türkiye, as well as to African countries.
