3 November 2026
Donald Trump’s agreement with Vladimir Putin regarding Russian diesel supplies and the licensing of those supplies contravenes the 2022 law banning energy imports from Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. Therefore, accepting them would violate federal law, warned New Jersey Governor Mickey Sherrill, home to the largest petroleum product receiving and distribution center on the US East Coast.
Sherrill, a Democrat and former Navy helicopter pilot, warned the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and oil terminal operators against accepting Russian diesel. She said at least one tanker carrying it may be headed to the state, Bloomberg reports.
“Attention all port and terminal operators, brokers, and buyers: Do not facilitate the importation of illegal Russian diesel fuel into New Jersey,” Sherrill said in her letter. New Jersey will use its legal and regulatory powers to prevent these shipments from entering the state, she warned. Businesses involved in illegal imports may be subject to fines equal to the value of the goods.
Several tankers, having departed the Baltic port of Primorsk in October, are heading for the American coast. Theoretically, the first shipment could reach the US by the end of the week. However, the tankers are signaling “awaiting orders,” meaning they are not indicating a specific destination port.
The administration does not have the authority to override the congressional ban without the president’s confirmation that Russia has agreed to withdraw its troops from Ukraine, Sherrill explained in her letter. She also noted that the license must be reviewed by Congress before it can take effect.
American refiners are skeptical that Russian diesel, even if it does reach the US market, will help lower prices in the near term, Argus reports. “We don’t believe Russia has enough distillates to make a significant difference,” it quotes Brian Mandell, executive vice president of marketing and commercial affairs at Phillips 66.
The wholesale price of diesel in the US (then the November futures contract) within a few days exceeded the $4.88 per gallon level at which Trump announced the deal with Putin. On Tuesday, the day of the Congressional elections, in which fuel prices became a key issue for Americans, the December diesel futures contract, which replaced the November contract, was trading at $4.51.
https://ru.themoscowtimes.com/2026/11/03/48-10-a210433