INTRO: US has extended a one-month sanctions waiver allowing countries to receive Russian oil already in transit, aiming to prevent global supply disruptions.
Washington
The United States has extended a sanctions waiver allowing countries to purchase petroleum products from Russia for an additional month, reversing earlier indications that the exemption would not be renewed.
The US Department of the Treasury announced that the waiver applies to Russian oil already loaded on vessels on or before April 17 and permits its transit and delivery until May 16. The move provides temporary relief to global markets reliant on existing shipments.
Previously, the United States had issued a short-term exemption beginning March 5, initially allowing select countries, including India, to continue purchasing Russian oil under limited conditions. That waiver, along with similar permissions for other countries, had expired in early April.
The updated general licence clarifies that transactions involving entities linked to Iran, North Korea, Cuba, or certain regions of Ukraine remain prohibited. The Treasury emphasized that the waiver is limited in scope and does not signal a broader easing of sanctions policy.
The decision follows earlier statements from US Treasury officials indicating that Washington would not extend special exemptions for Russian and Iranian oil. However, the latest extension reflects concerns over global supply stability and the need to manage oil already in transit.
Analysts note that the waiver impacts an estimated volume of oil already at sea, helping prevent sudden supply disruptions in international markets amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.
Overall, the extension underscores the balancing act between sanctions enforcement and global energy market stability, as the United States continues to use targeted financial measures while avoiding immediate shocks to crude oil supply chains worldwide.
