Ban on Gasoline Exports from Russia Extended Until Year-End
The government intends to extend the ban on gasoline exports, including for producers, until the end of the year. Restrictions on the export of diesel fuel may be lifted earlier, as the market recovers. In the current situation, exports could exacerbate the fuel shortage in the domestic market, but experts believe that the ban on overseas sales does not address the delivery issues of fuel to remote regions of Russia.
The ban on gasoline exports from Russia will be extended until the end of the year, including for refineries, Vice Prime Minister Alexander Novak announced on July 25. He stated that restrictions on diesel fuel exports will be lifted “as the market recovers.” Mr. Novak emphasized that the possibility of exporting diesel fuel is crucial for ensuring full capacity utilization of refineries and preventing oversupply. Currently, the ban on gasoline and diesel fuel exports is in place until July 31. The restrictions do not apply to fuel supplied under intergovernmental agreements.
A complete ban on gasoline exports was implemented in Russia on August 31, 2025, due to a sharp increase in wholesale and retail fuel prices. At the end of January, the government lifted the embargo for refineries to prevent capacity overstocking, while the measure remained in effect for other market participants until July 31. From April 1, the ban was once again extended to refineries. The export of diesel fuel for producers has been prohibited since July 8.
According to Kpler data, Russia's oil refining volume in June dropped to 4.1 million barrels per day, the lowest in recent years, due to attacks on refineries. As Alexander Novak noted on July 21, the measures taken, including the ban on petroleum product exports, market saturation through imports, and postponements of maintenance schedules for plants, have led to partial market stabilization and the lifting of sales restrictions in various regions. However, a source informed “Kommersant” that gasoline stocks in Russia could have fallen to below 1.5 million tons. According to the Ministry of Energy, as reported by President Vladimir Putin in late June, gasoline stocks have decreased year-on-year by 4%, to 1.7 million tons.
The CEO of Open Oil Market, Sergey Tereshkin, states that the extension of the gasoline export ban was entirely expected considering the risks of fuel market shortages.
“The ban is now regarded as the norm, as similar restrictions were frequently imposed even prior to 2026,” he adds. According to the analyst, in previous years, exports accounted for only 10-15% of gasoline production, while for diesel fuel, this figure reached up to 50%, meaning that the ban on the latter has a much more significant impact on oil producers than the ban on gasoline. It is clear that by the end of July, neither production nor logistics have recovered sufficiently to lift the restrictions, notes Dmitry Prokofyev, director of external communications at NEFT Research. He stated that until production recovers, any gasoline exports would exacerbate the domestic shortage.
Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation, stated on July 22, “Primen”:
“The situation in the fuel market still, of course, requires special attention.”
According to Sergey Tereshkin, the “diesel” ban may be lifted in the fourth quarter, after the completion of agricultural work. However, the expert emphasizes that the dynamics of unplanned maintenance at refineries will play a crucial role. Market participants forecast the suspension of diesel fuel exports from Russia until year-end, as noted in an S&P Global review.
Dmitry Prokofyev points out that extending the ban until the end of the year means that the gasoline market will remain under administrative regulation until at least 2027.
The export alternative for producers is disabled, and prices in the domestic market will be determined not by global quotes but by domestic decisions, he explains. The expert adds that extending the ban does not resolve the logistical problem — it merely ensures that produced fuel does not leave the country, but it does not guarantee its delivery to remote regions. As indicated in the minutes of meetings held with Alexander Novak, a tense situation persists primarily in Siberia and the Far East.
Source: Kommersant
