Trump Weighs Easing Shadow Fleet Sanctions to Lower Oil Shipping Costs
The Trump administration is considering easing sanctions on shadow fleet tankers to lower oil shipping costs amid disruptions to global energy supplies. The move follows Trump’s decision to lift restrictions on Russian diesel, which drew criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who warned it would help finance Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Crude oil prices have dropped from their recent peak prices, following news that President Trump may be considering lifting sanctions on tankers used to transport oil and fuel from Venezuela, Russia, and Iran in an effort to alleviate a growing shortage of tankers. As of now, Brent crude is trading at $104.39 per barrel, having exceeded $106 earlier in the week, while West Texas Intermediate is at $94.02 per barrel, after reaching close to $96 per barrel the previous day.
The ongoing war in the Persian Gulf has contributed to the limited availability of tankers due to increasing ship-to-ship transfers off the coast of Oman, near the Strait of Hormuz. Consequently, tanker rates have reached record highs, partially due to the threat of a drone or missile attack from Iran.
Reuters reported an unnamed U.S. official stating that the U.S. federal government is contemplating easing sanctions on certain vessels from the so-called shadow fleet to reduce these record tanker rates. If approved, shippers would have to seek authorization from the U.S. Treasury Department to utilize a sanctioned tanker. The high freight rates are problematic for the United States as they decrease demand for U.S. crude, according to Energy Aspects, a cited source by Reuters.
Additionally, Energy Aspects indicated that easing sanctions on tankers carrying Russian or Venezuelan crude and fuels would not significantly impact tanker availability, as most sanctioned tankers have been actively trading over the past three months.
This development follows President Trump's recent deal with Russia, which is expected to allow the latter to export up to 4.8 million tons of fuel. However, U.S. legislators and European political leaders have criticized the deal, claiming it could bolster Russia's finances for war. Despite this criticism, most analysts view the volume agreed upon in the deal as insignificant and unlikely to alter the supply status quo with diesel globally, including in the United States.
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