Two tankers that had listed U.S. destinations for Russian diesel changed their signals, leaving deliveries uncertain amid a dispute over a federal import ban and a Treasury license.
The 2022 Ending Importation of Russian Oil Act bars imports of Russian products classified under Chapter 27 of the U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule. New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill says diesel falls in that category and argues a Treasury license cannot override the ban.
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued General License 135 on Oct. 9. The license authorizes transactions related to the sale, delivery, offloading and importation of Russian-origin diesel.
In a Nov. 2 letter, Sherrill warned New Jersey port and terminal operators against handling Russian fuel. “Any effort to profit from the illegal trade in Russian fuel will be met with harsh penalties,” she wrote.
Vessel-tracking firm Windward said LERUO changed its destination to “Brazil for order.” TALISMAN changed its listing from “Atlantic Coast FO” to “For Order” and passed through the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean. AGIOI FANENDES changed its listing from New York to “for orders” but still appeared to be sailing toward the northeastern United States; Windward said its unloading port was unclear. The Associated Press reported similar destination changes on Nov. 5, citing Kpler and MarineTraffic.
An AIS destination is a vessel’s listed plan, not confirmation that a cargo has been booked or delivered.
President Donald Trump said on Oct. 9 that Russia would immediately supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel to U.S. and global markets. His post listed 500,000 tons in November, one million tons immediately afterward and three million tons within a short period; it did not specify whether “tons” meant metric tons or U.S. short tons.
Trump said lower prices for Americans, especially farmers, ranchers and truckers, were his priority. Sherrill argued Russian fuel sales would help finance Russia’s war against Ukraine.
The Associated Press reported on Nov. 5 that buyers and delivery terms had not been publicly disclosed and that no court had ruled on the dispute. Deutsche Welle and the AP also reported that Kirill Dmitriev, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy, posted on X that U.S.-bound tankers continued on course, disputing reports of route changes.
