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CommoditiesMediumUpdated×2•Originally published 27 October 2026•Updated 27 October 2026•
4 min read

3 Russian Diesel Tankers Head to US Under License Through April 2027

Key Facts

1Moscow says 3 diesel tankers are heading to the United States under a license that runs through April 2027.
2Kpler expects the first tanker to arrive in New York on November 7, marking the first Russian diesel shipment since July 2023.
3The first shipment amounts to 40,000 tons, or about 300,000 barrels, equivalent to nearly 7% of US daily consumption of about 4 million barrels.
4US lawmakers warned of potential legal consequences and investigations over Russian diesel imports.
5Lawmakers requested written confirmations and disclosures by October 28, 2026.

Moscow said 3 diesel tankers are heading to the United States under a US Treasury license that runs through April 2027, according to a Lloyd’s List report on October 26. Lloyd’s List Intelligence data show that two tankers loaded in Russia are bound for Norfolk and Corpus Christi, while the third, Agioi Fanendes, was stationary off Skagen. The market is watching for the first shipment to arrive in New York on November 7, which would be the first Russian diesel shipment to reach the United States since July 2023, according to Kpler estimates cited by the Associated Press. The route combines the resumption of Russian supplies under the license with US legal objections to the imports. Continued shipments depend on Russia’s ability to provide the announced volumes and on the stance of US entities that may facilitate them.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said the first shipment amounts to 40,000 tons, or about 300,000 barrels. That is equivalent to nearly 7% of the US economy’s daily diesel consumption of about 4 million barrels, according to figures cited by the Associated Press. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, "The first tanker has sailed to customers, and regular supplies will continue," without providing further details. But energy policy experts do not expect the import deal to materially lower elevated fuel prices. In September, the average US retail diesel price was $6.29 a gallon, and the Energy Information Administration expects distillate inventories to remain below the 2021–2025 average during the forecast period, with prices staying above $4 a gallon through 2027. The first shipment remains small relative to daily consumption, while the impact of supplies depends on the arrival of subsequent cargoes.

The movement of Agioi Fanendes offers another indication of the shipment’s route, without proving that any of the three tankers is subject to sanctions. The vessel, built in 2019, left Russia’s Primorsk port on October 22 carrying about 60% of its capacity, according to vessel-tracking data cited by Lloyd’s List. It was stationary off Skagen, according to the report summary. On production, industry sources told Reuters that Russian diesel output fell to about 160,000 tons a day in the first half of October, from 175,000 tons a day in September. After export quotas were granted in the middle of the month, output began rising toward 180,000 tons a day. Russian domestic consumption typically falls in October to about 140,000 tons a day, the sources said, potentially leaving at least 40,000 tons a day, or more than 1 million tons a month, available for export, with exports continuing to be managed through quotas.

Meanwhile, Lloyd’s List reported that Braemar doubts Russia can ship 250,000 barrels a day by December, while idle refining capacity could reach 45%. The open summary does not specify the year for December, and the estimate of idle capacity is not a direct measure of the reason for the company’s doubts. In the United States, lawmakers warned that importing Russian diesel raises "important legal questions" and could lead to legal action and congressional investigations. They directed the warning to banks, port operators and fuel distributors, urging them to preserve records related to any proposed or actual transactions. The lawmakers cited a 2022 law, numbered 117-109, which generally prohibits the import of Russian energy products, including diesel. The law, according to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, provides for a conditional exception subject to presidential certification that requirements related to ending hostilities, the military threat to NATO and Ukrainians’ right to choose their government have been met.

The US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control issued General License 135 on October 9, authorizing transactions involving the sale, delivery, unloading and import of Russian diesel. The license provides a framework for the announced shipments, while congressional letters continue to pressure US intermediaries that may be involved in carrying them out. Lawmakers set October 28, 2026, as the deadline for written confirmation that recordkeeping measures had been implemented, and for disclosure of whether the recipients had participated in or learned of any proposed or actual transaction. Responses from banks, ports and fuel distributors could clarify whether the shipments encountered practical obstacles in the United States. The expected shipment on November 7 remains the next clear milestone in this test, while Russia’s ability to increase supplies remains in question.