Russian diesel heads back to Turkey, Brazil after ban eased

Russian diesel is moving back toward its usual buyers. At least two tankers have signaled voyages to Turkey and Brazil in recent days, according to Reuters, citing shipping data from Kpler and LSEG. The shipments follow Moscow's decision to ease its diesel export ban after a deal with U.S. President Donald Trump. European fuel markets have barely reacted so far.reuters.com

Tankers return to old routes

The tanker Leruo left Russia's Baltic port of Primorsk on October 16 and is signaling Manaus, Brazil, as its destination. The Dolunay left Primorsk on October 14 and is heading for Alanya, Turkey. Kpler data show each ship is carrying a 300,000-barrel diesel cargo, Reuters reported. Morocco has also started importing Russian diesel again. A tanker with about 40,000 metric tons of ultra-low sulphur diesel loaded at Primorsk on October 13 and headed there, according to Reuters.reuters.com+1

So far this year, Turkey has taken about 34% of Russian diesel loadings, Brazil 24% and Morocco 10%, according to Kpler. "With Russian supply returning, established trade routes are the most logical place for those barrels to go first," said Michelle Brouhard, Kpler's head of geopolitical risk, in comments to Reuters. Three sources told Reuters that Turkish fuel suppliers have cut their diesel purchases from domestic refiners, including Tupras Türkiye Petrol Rafinerileri A.Ş., because they expect Russian cargoes to arrive.reuters.com

The Trump-Putin deal

Trump announced the agreement with Vladimir Putin on October 9. Minutes later, the Treasury Department issued a temporary license allowing Russian diesel to be sold on global markets, The New York Times reported. Moscow then partly lifted the ban it had imposed in July, allowing 500,000 metric tons to be exported starting October 10, according to Bloomberg. Russia had introduced the ban because Ukrainian drone strikes on its refineries caused fuel shortages at home.bloomberg.com+1

Trump said Russia would export 300,000 tons right away, then 500,000 tons in November. Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak has said exports could reach 3.5 million tons a month by the end of the year, Reuters reported. A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has urged Trump to cancel the deal, the Kyiv Independent reported.kyivindependent.com+1

Limited market impact

The European Union and the United Kingdom still ban imports of Russian fuel. Russian diesel exports have averaged about 345,000 barrels per day this year, down 41% from 2025. European benchmark diesel futures have changed little since the deal, according to LSEG data cited by Reuters. Diesel's premium over Brent crude has eased from the record highs of late September but is still several times higher than a year ago.reuters.com

Sparta Commodities analyst James Noel-Beswick told Reuters that the volumes Trump announced are small compared with the global supply shortfall. If exports reached the levels Novak described, he said, they would close most of that gap.