Russia extends diesel export ban to 2027 with Trump-deal exemptions

Russia's government has extended its ban on commercial diesel exports through January 2027 while carving out exemptions for suppliers operating under a commercial arrangement struck with US President Donald Trump, Bloomberg reported.

Moscow plans to export approximately 2.15 million metric tons of refined diesel in November, a sharp rise from an estimated 510,000 tons shipped in October. The increase follows waivers granted by Russian energy authorities after Trump announced a bilateral understanding with President Vladimir Putin in mid-October.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak confirmed that four laden tankers had already departed Baltic Sea ports. Ship-tracking data from analytics firms Kpler and LSEG showed the tanker Dolunay left the Primorsk terminal on 14 October bound for the Turkish port of Alanya, and the tanker Leruo sailed on 16 October for Manaus, Brazil. Turkey has taken roughly 34 percent of Russian seaborne diesel liftings this year — about 95,000 barrels per day — while Brazil accounts for 24 percent, or around 66,000 barrels per day.

Novak said recurring Ukrainian drone strikes on domestic refineries could cause temporary contractions in export quotas but that energy officials do not anticipate substantial reductions in aggregate supply.

To facilitate transactions, the US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control issued a temporary general licence authorising dealings in Russian refined diesel through 7 April 2027. Trump reinforced the arrangement on 16 October by signing an executive order waiving mandatory 500 percent tariffs on Russian imports and 100 percent duties on third-party petroleum buyers.

Trump had previously stated Russia would supply up to 2 million tons to the US and global market. Novak subsequently projected Russia could supply up to 3.5 million tons by end-2026 under the authorised exemptions.