According to Reuters, Turkey and Brazil emerged as the primary recipients of Russian maritime diesel and gasoil in the past year following the implementation of European Union sanctions, which prohibited the import of Russian refined products. This information is based on data from market sources and the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG).
Before the complete EU embargo was enforced in February 2023, Russia primarily sold diesel to Europe. However, with the imposition of sanctions, traders redirected diesel shipments from Russian ports to various destinations, including Brazil, Turkey, countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and through ship-to-ship (STS) loadings.
According to data from the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG), Russia exported approximately 13.5 million metric tons of diesel and gasoil to Turkey in the past year, a significant increase from the 5 million tons in 2022. The destination of the diesel within Turkey or further shipment to other locations remains unclear.
Shipments of diesel from Russian ports to Brazil surged to around 6.5 million tons in 2023, a substantial rise compared to 74,000 tons in 2022.
As explained, Turkey retained its position as the leading buyer of Russian diesel and gasoil in the initial month of this year, receiving over 1.5 million tons, as per LSEG data. Brazil experienced a decline in imports from Russia in January, dropping to approximately 460,000 tons from 1 million tons in December 2023, attributed to seasonal fluctuations in demand and supplies.
In 2023, Russia also exported about 1.9 million tons of diesel to Saudi Arabia and nearly 1.6 million tons to the United Arab Emirates, based on shipping data.
