Dix days before the end of his term, Joe Biden dropped one last bombshell. But this is more of a gift to his successor, Donald Trump. The administration announced this Friday, January 10, an unprecedented strengthening of sanctions against Russia, targeting gas and oil exports. The United States places two oil companies, more than 150 oil tankers, insurance companies and international traders on its blacklist.
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From now on, American companies are prohibited from trading with these actors. The two companies targeted are Gazprom Neft, an oil company formerly called “Sibneft”, now owned by the giant Gazprom, as well as Surgutneftegas, one of the five largest companies in the country active in gas and oil.
But it is above all the sanctions concerning boats which will have the most visible effect. This is, according to the Treasury Department, cited by the Wall Street Journalof “183 boats, including 155 Russian tankers or part of the ghost fleet”. This doubles the list of ships targeted by sanctions and poses a certain risk for the ports and refiners which were to accommodate them. Already, this Monday, January 13, refiners in the Chinese region of Shandong are in emergency meeting. Ditto for their Indian counterparts, 30% of whose oil comes from Russia. None want to risk a major financial battle with the American authorities.
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