• India halts diesel exports to EU after new Russian oil rules

• Shipments redirected to West Africa, hitting record late 2025 levels

• EU sanctions close loophole, reshaping global diesel trade flows

India halted diesel exports to the European Union in January while shipping record volumes to West Africa. Data from maritime tracking firms Kpler and Vortexa show the shift followed the introduction of new European regulations banning imports of fuels made from Russian oil.

Until recently, India and Turkey bought large quantities of discounted Russian crude, refined it into diesel, and exported the fuel to Europe. Under the new rule, a refinery must not have processed any Russian oil in the 60 days before a cargo is loaded to qualify for export to the EU. An exception applies if the refinery can physically separate Russian crude from other supplies.

In 2025, Russian oil accounted for 30% of India’s seaborne crude imports and 48% of Turkey’s imports, according to Kpler. India exported an average of 137,000 barrels per day of diesel to the EU in 2025, but shipped none to the bloc in January 2026. Turkey cut its exports to the EU to about 45,000 barrels per day in January, compared with an average of 87,000 barrels per day last year.

Some refineries remain directly affected by the new constraint. One is the Star refinery, owned by Azerbaijan’s Socar, which continued to import Russian crude in January. In India, Reliance had previously been the main exporter of fuels to the European market.

Closing the loophole in sanctions against Russian oil

The European Union is seeking to close a loophole in its sanctions framework against Moscow imposed after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Previously, products refined from Russian crude could enter the European market if they were processed outside Russia. This indirectly allowed Russian oil to keep supplying Europe in the form of refined fuels.

The new regulation forces Indian and Turkish refineries to choose between continuing Russian crude imports and maintaining access to the European market. According to Energy Aspects analyst Clare Morris, the change is driving a rebalancing of global flows. More Indian diesel is being redirected toward Africa, while European supplies from the United States and the Middle East are rising.

Indian diesel exports to West Africa hit a record in December 2025 at about 155,000 barrels per day. They are expected to remain high in January 2026 at around 84,000 barrels per day. The reshaping of trade highlights how European sanctions can redirect global energy routes without immediately reducing overall volumes. West Africa is becoming a key outlet for Indian diesel, while the EU shifts its purchases toward suppliers that comply with its regulatory framework.

Olivier de Souza