# US eases sanctions on Russian oil cargoes already at sea

The United States Treasury Department has temporarily authorised the delivery and sale of certain Russian oil cargoes already loaded onto vessels before March 12, in a move that reflects mounting pressure on global energy markets, according to AFP via the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

The licence applies to crude oil and petroleum products that were loaded on vessels on or before 12:01 a.m. Eastern time on March 12 and allows those shipments to be delivered and sold through 12:01 a.m. on April 11. The measure is narrow in scope and does not amount to a broader lifting of sanctions on Russia, which remains under restrictions over its invasion of Ukraine.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement that the aim was to increase the global reach of existing supply. He described the measure as short-term and limited, saying it would not provide significant financial benefit to the Russian government because most of Russia’s energy revenue comes from taxes collected at extraction rather than from the sale of exports after they are loaded.

The move follows an earlier temporary allowance for Russian oil stranded at sea to be sold to India. Together, the steps show Washington adjusting sanctions policy at the margin to avoid worsening a global supply crunch while keeping the broader pressure regime intact.

The backdrop is a fast-moving energy shock driven by the war in the Middle East. The AFP report said the conflict had already upended transport and energy markets and sharply raised prices. It also pointed to pressure on the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil chokepoints, where about a fifth of global oil passes.

That context matters because the US decision does not loosen restrictions across the board. Instead, it is best understood as a practical response to extraordinary disruption: keep oil moving where it is already in transit, avoid unnecessary waste and preserve supply where possible, while leaving the main sanctions architecture in place.

For markets, the significance is twofold. First, the licence offers shippers, insurers and buyers a legal path to complete transactions that were already in motion before the deadline. Second, it signals that the US is willing to make tightly limited exceptions when supply shocks threaten to spread beyond the countries directly involved in the conflict.

The result is a temporary relief valve rather than a policy reversal. The cargoes covered by the licence are a finite group, the timetable is short, and the broader sanctions framework remains. But in a week of intense energy-market volatility, even a narrow exemption can matter for traders trying to close deals and for consumers facing the risk of higher fuel and power costs.