The US Treasury Department said the new licence permits transactions involving Russian crude and petroleum products that were loaded onto vessels on or before April 17. The authorisation will remain in effect until May 16, replacing an earlier 30-day waiver that expired on April 11.
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The United States has issued a fresh temporary waiver allowing the sale of sanctioned Russian oil already stranded at sea, seeking to ease pressure on global energy markets rattled by the ongoing West Asia conflict.
The US Treasury Department said the new licence permits transactions involving Russian crude and petroleum products that were loaded onto vessels on or before April 17. The authorisation will remain in effect until May 16, replacing an earlier 30-day waiver that expired on April 11.
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According to the official notice, the waiver allows activities “ordinarily incident and necessary” for the sale, delivery, or offloading of Russian-origin oil cargoes already in transit. This includes shipments on vessels that may otherwise fall under sanctions, provided they meet the cut-off deadline.
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However, the licence keeps strict restrictions in place. It does not permit any transactions involving entities linked to Iran, North Korea, Cuba or certain Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine, maintaining broader sanctions enforcement despite the temporary relief.
It stated, “This general license does not authorize: (1) Any transaction involving a person located in or organized under the laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the Republic of Cuba, the Covered Regions of Ukraine, as defined by E.O. 14065, the Crimea Region of Ukraine, as defined by E.O. 13685, or any entity that is owned or controlled by or in a joint venture with such persons.”
The move comes against a backdrop of volatility in global oil markets, with supply concerns intensified by geopolitical tensions in West Asia. Allowing previously loaded cargoes to reach buyers, further disruption and price spikes may be prevented.
However, previously, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had indicated that broader relaxations are unlikely. Speaking earlier this week, he said Washington would not renew the general licence that had allowed limited dealings in Russian and Iranian oil, noting that most of the previously permitted cargo had already been utilised.
#WATCH | United States Secretary of the Treasury, Scott Bessent, says, “We will not be renewing the general license on Russian oil and Iranian oil. That was oil that was on the water prior to March 11th. All that has been used” pic.twitter.com/IydhxtZarj
— ANI (@ANI) April 15, 2026
Estimates suggest the earlier waiver could have unlocked around 100 million barrels of crude stuck at sea, roughly equivalent to a day’s global oil consumption, highlighting the scale of shipments affected by sanctions.
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