Initial shipment of Russian diesel heads to the US after Trump-Putin deal

A Malta-flagged tanker, Agioi Fanendes, is set to deliver 40,000 metric tonnes of Russian diesel to the United States following an accord between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to LSEG data. The tanker, which was loaded in Primorsk, Russia on October 22, is scheduled to reach New York on November 7.

As part of a strategy to lower diesel prices ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, Trump has implemented measures such as waiving sanctions and threatening a US diesel export ban unless countries release more from their emergency reserves. Putin agreed to end Russia's self-imposed ban on diesel exports and supply the fuel to global markets, including the US, following the Trump-Putin agreement.

Initially, Russia committed to exporting 300,000 metric tonnes of diesel, followed by 500,000 tonnes in November and 1 million tonnes immediately thereafter. By the end of the year, Russia could increase diesel exports to between 3 million and 3.5 million tonnes per month, the usual export volume. Most recently loaded diesel cargoes were headed to destinations such as Gibraltar, the Atlantic Coast, or Port Said, but their final destinations remain unclear.

Since February 2023, when the full EU embargo on Russian oil products was imposed due to the war in Ukraine, Russia has largely exported diesel to Brazil, Turkey, and African nations.