Since Turkey can legitimately still import diesel-type fuel from Russia, traders can potentially bring in relatively cheap barrels to meet the country’s energy needs. At the same time, Turkey’s own production could be sold at a higher price to the EU.

Prior to the sanctions, between October 2021 and September 2022, diesel imports from Russia made up 53% of Northwest Europe’s seaborne imports.

As a result, Russian diesel makes up 27% of Europe's total 1.69 million b/d of imports in the period, the data showed.

The region imported almost 700,000 barrels a day of the fuel from Russia last month, higher than the previous month and a 22 per cent increase compared with July last year

France, Germany and Poland continued to receive term diesel cargoes from Russia, while spot diesel cargoes that would typically supply the UK are now ending up in the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp hub instead, with a few Primorsk cargoes also finding their way to Barcelona.

Four tankers with 2 million barrels of Russian diesel aboard, the most in data going back to 2018, are set to arrive next week, as natural gas-rich Russia cranks up diesel-producing units that are dependent on a feedstock extracted from costly natural gas,

Customs data showed on Monday that diesel exports rose 181.8 percent to a record 1.53 million tonnes, almost tripling China's average monthly export volume in 2015.

In the week ending Monday, the average UK pump price of unleaded gasoline (ULSP) was 111.65p/liter, up 0.21 p/liter week on week. The price of diesel (ULSD) was 112.86 p/liter, up 0.30 p/liter on the week.

China diesel demand may post first fall in over a decade as economy slows