Russia extends diesel export ban to January 2027
Moscow signed a decree extending the ban for direct producers, with carve-outs for the world market. Sources disagree on volumes.
Direct diesel producers in Russia remain barred from exporting until January 31, 2027, a deadline confirmed in a decree the government in Moscow posted on its website on Saturday, October 31. Individual suppliers that ship fuel to the world market can expect exceptions, as Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak announced a day earlier.
What exactly does the ban cover?
The decree applies to diesel, marine fuel and gas oil exported directly by producers, and it runs through January 31, 2027. The government gives the stability of the domestic fuel market as the aim of the measure.
The restriction on producers is not new. It was originally due to expire on September 30, then was extended to the end of October. A general fuel export ban for other exporters in Russia already runs to the same date, January 31, 2027.
What did Novak tell reporters?
Novak told reporters on Friday, October 30, that a decree was being prepared. The TASS agency carried his words in English, and in translation they read:
“Yes, a government decree is currently being drafted to extend the ban on diesel deliveries until the end of January next year, practically for three months. However, as before, specific exceptions will be made for deliveries to world markets.”
He told the same agency that three tankers carrying Russian diesel had already set sail for the United States, while a fourth was scheduled to depart on October 29.
How did the exceptions come about, and what volumes are mentioned?
The government eased the ban in part at the start of October, after Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump agreed on October 9 on deliveries of Russian diesel to the world market. That allowed producers to resume part of their exports, while the ban on exporters that are not producers stays in force.
The figures the sources give do not fully match:
- TASS reports that Russian companies can export 500,000 tons of diesel in October under supply agreements for the US and the world market
- B92 reports that Novak estimates 510,000 tons for October and 2.15 million tons for November, more than four times as much
- none of the other three sources we reviewed confirms the November figure
B92 adds that the government is working to exempt individual suppliers that send fuel to the world market from the ban in November as well. According to the same source, the first tankers are expected to arrive before the US midterm elections on November 3.
What happens next?
The signed decree is valid until the end of January, but the published sources have not yet named the specific exceptions for November. Novak described them only as exceptions for deliveries to the world market, without naming any suppliers.
