Bloomberg unveils how US bought 10,000 barrels of Russian oil not violating sanctions
Photo: The US could get Russian oil through the Bahamas (Getty Images)
The United States imported 10,000 barrels of Russian oil through a blending loophole at storage terminals in the Bahamas, reports Bloomberg.
However, the United States does not believe that it violated the sanctions, saying that the oil entered the Bahamas even before they were imposed.
"The crude, brought into Wilmington, Delaware in November, didn’t violate US sanctions because it was exported from Russia to the Bahamas prior to March 8, 2022, when the sanctions began. It was then commingled with other oil before being imported into the US," said Morgan Butterfield, an Energy Information Administration spokesperson.
According to Bloomberg, the shipment arrived at PBF Energy Inc.’s Delaware City refinery, EIA and customs records show. The importer then specified that the blended barrels were of partly Russian origin, Butterfield said.
Strengthening of sanctions
Western sanctions led to the fact that half of Russian exports of oil and petroleum products went to China in 2023, while India's share increased to 40% in two years. Europe's share of oil exports from Russia fell tenfold to about 4-5% from about 40-45%.
Oil flows from Russia have faced problems after US sanctions against traders and shipping companies tightened. The signs came just weeks after the US Treasury Department imposed the most extensive sanctions against Russian oil traders and the state shipping company Sovcomflot since the start of the war against Ukraine.
Recently, the USA introduced new sanctions for the transportation of Russian oil. Almost 20 tankers came under restrictions.
