New Jersey Governor Throws Spanner into Russian Diesel Entry into US

[ABS News Service/09.11.2026]

· President Donald Trump's plan to allow imports of Russian diesel appeared to falter this week after state and federal officials warned that handling any shipments could bring legal consequences and two tankers initially bound for the United States changed course, Reuters news service reported.

Trump announced an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Oct. 9 to make more than 300,000 metric tons of Russia's diesel available immediately to U.S. and global markets, with larger shipments to follow. The US banned Russian energy imports after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and the deal angered some lawmakers and foreign allies.

The arrangement has yet to produce a confirmed US delivery. Analysts have said the imports were unlikely to do much to lower US diesel prices, which have reached record highs during the US war with Iran.

Two sanctioned tankers that departed from the Baltic Sea port of Primorsk last month originally declared their destinations as the US East Coast. As of Thursday, both had changed course, one toward Brazil and the other into the Mediterranean, according to marine data company Kpler and vessel traffic site MarineTraffic.com.

A third vessel was still in the North Atlantic headed toward the US but changed its destination from New York to "for orders," which leaves the unloading point open. Neither the White House nor the Kremlin have disclosed whether the agreement was put in writing or revealed the price, payment terms or participating companies.

Although the Treasury Department temporarily authorized Russian diesel transactions that would ordinarily be subject to US sanctions, New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill advised port and terminal operators in her state to turn away ships carrying the fuel, warning in a letter dated Monday that “any effort to profit from the illegal trade in Russian fuel will be met with harsh penalties.”

Sherrill argued that the Trump administration lacked authority to override the import ban enacted by Congress more than four years ago and said New Jersey would use its legal and regulatory powers to prevent state facilities and companies from handling Russian fuel.