Infobrief
Mar 13, 2026

U.S. Temporarily Allows Countries to Buy Russian Oil Already at Sea

U.S. Temporarily Allows Countries to Buy Russian Oil at Sea to Stabilize Global Prices

In an effort to calm surging global oil prices, the United States Department of the Treasury has introduced a temporary policy allowing countries to purchase Russian oil shipments that are already at sea.

 The measure will remain in effect for 30 days, until April 11, and is aimed at easing pressure on the global energy market.

On March 12, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the decision in a post on the social media platform X.

 He explained that the United States is “temporarily allowing countries to purchase Russian oil currently stranded at sea” as a short-term step to stabilize energy supplies and prevent further price spikes.

According to Bessent, the measure is strictly limited in scope and applies only to oil shipments that had already been loaded and were in transit before the policy was announced. He emphasized that the decision will not significantly increase revenue for the Russian government, noting that most of Moscow’s energy income is generated through taxes that are assessed when the oil is extracted rather than when it is sold.

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