Russian oil export freight costs rising as sanctions bite, sources say

23 Oct 2024 CW Team

Freight rates for tankers exporting oil from Russian ports to Asia have risen this month ahead of winter and are set to climb further after recent Western sanctions hitting more tankers involved in the trade, according to industry data and sources. Russian oil is mostly sold to Asian buyers on a delivered basis, where the price includes transport costs, meaning higher freight rates would weigh on Moscow's revenue from energy sales. Freight rates from the Baltic ports of Primorsk or Ust-Luga to ports in western India have risen and may reach up to $5.5 million this month, compared with $4.3 million in the summer, industry sources told Reuters. In early 2024, however, the cost of a one-way voyage from Russia's Baltic ports to India was $7.7 million. Freight rates for tankers carrying ESPO Blend crude from the Far Eastern port of Kozmino have risen to $1.5 million this month from $1.35 million in September, according to Simpson Spence Young data carried by LSEG. Two traders said that in some cases freight costs exceed $1.5 million from Kozmino to Chinese ports. Freight rates for oil typically increase before winter, but recent Western sanctions against ships carrying Russian oil are adding to transport costs, they added. Last week, Britain imposed new sanctions on 18 Russian oil tankers and four gas tankers. The vessels will not be able to call at UK ports or use maritime services provided by British companies. This brings the total number of Russian oil tankers targeted by UK restrictions to 43. The United States also imposed sanctions on eight tankers involved in transporting Russian oil and oil products, and several shipping companies last week. Traders said the sanctions narrowed the choice of charterers and created an additional reason for ship owners to raise rates for transporting Russian oil. (Reporting by Reuters Editing by Mark Potter)

Building Material

11 Dec 2025

Suraj Estate Wins Euromoney Award for India’s Best Residential Developer

"Suraj Estate Developers Limited has received the Euromoney Real Estate Award 2025 for ‘India’s Best Residential Developer’, positioning the company among globally benchmarked leaders in the sector. The recognition reflects its four-decade legacy in delivering high-quality residential and redevelopment-led projects across South Central Mumbai. The Euromoney Real Estate Awards, presented by the London-based Euromoney magazine, are widely regarded as one of the most credible global assessments of performance in real estate, banking and finance. Winners are selected through surveys of inte..

Lloyds Metals, Tata Steel Sign MoU to Explore Strategic Collaboration

"Lloyds Metals and Energy Limited has signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding with Tata Steel Limited to evaluate potential areas of strategic cooperation across mining, logistics, pelletisation and steelmaking. The MoU was signed by B Prabhakaran, Managing Director of Lloyds Metals, and Mr T V Narendran, CEO and Managing Director of Tata Steel. The partnership framework aims to leverage the natural operational synergies between both companies and assess opportunities in greenfield steel projects, iron ore mining, slurry pipeline infrastructure, pellet manufacturing in iron ore–ric..

IndiaAI, Gujarat Govt Host Regional Conclave Ahead of 2026 AI Summit

The IndiaAI Mission under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, along with the Government of Gujarat and IIT Gandhinagar, convened a Regional Pre-Summit Event at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar. The initiative is part of the build-up to the India–AI Impact Summit 2026, scheduled for 15–20 February 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The conclave brought together senior policymakers, technology leaders, researchers and industry practitioners to examine how AI can accelerate economic, digital and social transformation across sectors. The programme focused on the overarching th..