Russian Diesel Tanker Heads to US Following Trump-Putin Deal

The first Russian diesel tanker bound for the United States has departed following an agreement between US President Donald Trump and Russia. The vessel is carrying 40,000 metric tonnes of diesel and is expected to arrive in New York on November 7.

Reuters reported the development on Friday, October 23, citing shipping data.

Trump announced the deal with Russia earlier this month as part of efforts to reduce soaring diesel prices in the United States ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. To facilitate the agreement, he relaxed several provisions of new US sanctions imposed on Russia.

Trump has also urged European countries to release more fuel from their emergency reserves to increase market supplies. He warned that the United States could halt diesel exports to Europe if they failed to do so.

According to LSEG shipping data, the Malta-flagged medium-sized tanker Agioi Fanendes departed from Primorsk, a Russian port on the Baltic Sea, on October 22. The vessel is carrying 40,000 metric tonnes of ultra-low-sulphur diesel and is scheduled to reach the United States on November 7.

The identities of the buyer and seller were not immediately known. This is reportedly the first shipment of Russian petroleum products imported into the United States since former US President Joe Biden imposed sanctions on Russian oil and petroleum products in 2022.

On October 9, Trump announced that Russia would immediately export 300,000 metric tonnes of diesel to the United States and the global market. A further 500,000 tonnes would follow in November, with an additional one million tonnes to be supplied later.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed the departure of the first tanker during a conference call on Friday. However, he did not explicitly confirm whether the vessel was heading to the US market or another destination.

“To my knowledge, the Energy Ministry has already reported that the first tanker has departed for buyers. From now on, these supplies will continue at a regular pace,” Peskov said.

As part of the agreement with the United States, Russia has also lifted its own restrictions on diesel exports. Following the European Union’s full ban on imports of Russian oil in February 2023 amid the war in Ukraine, Moscow had primarily exported diesel to Turkey, Brazil and various African countries. It also continued supplying fuel to Central Asia by rail.

According to LSEG and Kpler shipping data, Russian diesel tankers have begun returning to their previous destinations after Moscow lifted its export restrictions. At least two vessels have already signalled that they are heading towards Turkey and Brazil.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said further fuel shipments to the United States would become possible once companies from both countries completed the necessary agreements.