Tag: US Sanctions

After the US decided to withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action regulating Iran’s nuclear activities, there is a change in the the focus of oil market analysis from the fundamentals to geopolitics. There is a 180-day period for customers to adapt their purchasing strategies and it remains to be seen other aspects of the sanctions will be implemented. When sanctions were imposed, Iran’s exports fell by about 1.2 mb/d. Namely, EIA said: It is too soon to say what will happen this time, but we should examine whether other producers could step in to ensure an orderly flow of oil to the market and offset a disruption to Iranian exports. However, neither Venezuela nor Mexico can raise output in the short term, but some of the 1.5 mb/d that have been reduced by other producers under the Vienna Agreement might be available to keep markets well supplied. In Venezuela, the decline of oil production is accelerating and by the end of this year output could have fallen by several hundred thousand barrels a day. The possible supply shortfall by Iran and Venezuela could cause a major challenge for producers to diverge from sharp price rises and fill the ...

French energy major Total announced it will not be in a position to continue and take any further commitment related to the South Pars 11 project, following the US withdrawal from the JCPOA, re-imposing the US sanctions that were in force before the JCPOA’s implementation. 

The world’s top two container shipping companies, Danish Maersk Line and Geneva-based MSC, are reviewing their Iran operations, following the US withdrawal from the international nuclear agreement with Tehran. This is expected to have significant implications for shipping trade with Iran and the insurance of this trade.

On 8 May, US President Trump announced decision to withdraw the US from participation in the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) and to re-impose US nuclear-related sanctions, which is expected to have significant implications for shipping trade with Iran and the insurance of this trade. 

After US imposed further sanctions against Russia on 6th April, the inclusion of Rusal in this list, confused the aluminium trades, since Rusal is a major shipper of both raw and finished commodities. To clarify the situation the US issued two licenses for trading with Rusal. The licences allow parties to continue trading with Rusal until 23 October 2018.

The US expanded its sanctions against Russia, and they now include designations against key individuals operating in Russia’s energy sector, along with 12 energy companies owned or controlled by these persons. These new sanctions also have implications for non-US persons and entities, which have to carefully consider the risk of secondary sanctions when dealing with Russian parties in the future.

Following introduction of the cryptocurrency 'Petro' in February 2018, the US President has issued a further Executive Order, which prohibits US persons, and persons within the US, from engaging in any dealings in “any digital currency, digital coin or digital token” issued by Venezuela on or after 9 January 2018, which would include the Petro.

The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, announced the imposition of sanctions against additional Russian entities and individuals. The New US Sanctions Targets include the designation of three entities and 13 individuals which are now included on OFAC’s SDN and Blocked Persons List.

Insurers, flag registries, shipping companies, financial institutions, and others involved in shipping-related transactions may be subject to one or more sanctions prohibitions related to North Korea. The information herebelow is based on a recent advisory on N. Korea Sanctions, issued by the US Department of Treasure.

US provides examples of the types of tactics used by North Korea to obfuscate the identity of the vessels, the goods being shipped, and the origin or destination of cargo and also suggests measures to mitigate the risk of engaging in prohibited activity or processing prohibited transactions.