A Malta-flagged tanker carrying 40,000 metric tonnes of Russian diesel is heading towards New York following an agreement with US President Donald Trump, LSEG data showed on Friday.
Mr Trump has made several moves to try to bring down diesel prices ahead of the November 3 midterm elections , including waiving parts of a new sanctions law against Russia and threatening Europe with a US diesel export ban unless countries release more from their emergency reserves.
The medium-sized tanker Agioi Fanendes was loaded with 40,000 metric tonnes of ultra-low sulphur diesel in the Russian Baltic port of Primorsk on October 22, according to shipping data. It is expected to arrive in the US on November 7.
Russia agreed to lift a self-imposed ban on diesel exports and supply the fuel to global markets, including the US, after the agreement reached between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Mr Trump.
Mr Trump announced on October 9 that Russia would immediately export 300,000 metric tonnes, or 2.25 million barrels, followed by 500,000 tonnes in November and one million tonnes "immediately thereafter".
Russia will be able to increase diesel exports to between three million tonnes and 3.5 million tonnes per month by the end of the year, the country's usual export volume of the fuel, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said last week.
Last week, export diesel cargoes were loaded in the Russian Baltic port of Primorsk, but their final destinations are not clear, with most vessels signalling Gibraltar, the Atlantic Coast or Port Said, according to LSEG shipping data.
Since the full EU embargo on the import of Russian oil products came into effect in February 2023 over the war in Ukraine, Russia has exported diesel mainly to Brazil and Turkey, as well as to African countries.