Russian diesel aboard the Malta-flagged Agioi Fanendes is due in New York Nov. 7, a delivery that would be the first U.S. import of Russian oil products since a 2022 ban if it arrives.
London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) tracking records show 40,000 metric tons of ultra-low-sulfur diesel were loaded onto the tanker at Primorsk, Russia, on Oct. 22. Reuters reported that the buyer and seller had not been identified. The cargo would be the first Russian petroleum shipment to enter the United States since former President Joe Biden announced an import prohibition in 2022, if delivered.
Reuters described the cargo as following a U.S.-Russia supply arrangement, but the Agioi Fanendes' connection to the deal is unverified. The Kremlin's earlier statement about a tanker sailing did not identify this vessel or establish that it was headed to New York.
President Donald Trump said in an Oct. 9 Truth Social post that Russia would immediately export 300,000 metric tons for U.S. and global markets, followed by 500,000 metric tons in November and 1 million metric tons immediately thereafter. Reuters reported that Trump presented the arrangement as a way to lower diesel prices before the Nov. 3 midterm elections. The arrangement also involved Russia lifting its self-imposed diesel export ban.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued General License 135 on Oct. 9. It authorizes covered transactions involving Russian-origin diesel, including U.S. imports, until 12:01 a.m. EDT April 7, 2027. The authorization does not establish that the Agioi Fanendes cargo was purchased under the license.
On Oct. 23, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov relayed an Energy Ministry report that a tanker had sailed and said more shipments were expected. He did not name the vessel or give its destination. The statement therefore does not establish that the tanker was the Agioi Fanendes. EconoTimes previously covered the Kremlin's report of a tanker departure.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said companies were working out contracts and further U.S. shipments would follow. He said Russia could bring monthly diesel exports back to 3 million to 3.5 million metric tons by the end of 2026. Separate tracking data published this week by LSEG and Kpler showed at least two tankers signaling routes toward Turkey and Brazil. Reuters noted that since the European Union's February 2023 embargo on Russian oil products, Turkey, Brazil and African countries have been among the main destinations for Russian diesel.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has criticized the arrangement. His office has said added Russian oil-product revenue could help finance the war against Ukraine, as EconoTimes reported in earlier coverage of Zelenskyy's criticism. LSEG's projected arrival date for the Agioi Fanendes is Nov. 7.
