Russians banned from importing gasoline in cans to the Baltic countries

On February 6, a ban on the import of Russian oil products into the European Union came into force and motor fuel, which is transported in a car, but not in tanks, but in separate canisters, falls under this ban. This clarification was made by the Estonian Tax and Customs Board.

“Oil products from Russia are prohibited from February 6 to buy, import and transfer,” said Piret Tinkus, head of the department’s bans and restrictions service.

"Fuel used for motor vehicles is also on the list of prohibited items," she said.

When crossing the border into the European Union, you can only bring fuel that is in the standard fuel tank of the vehicle.

“It is forbidden to import fuel in a canister that was bought in Russia into the European Union, since such import does not correspond to the main purpose, that is, the completion of the trip,” Tinkus said and drew attention to the fact that the ban on the import of goods in canisters when entering from Russia operates in the same way in all the Baltic states and in Finland.

On February 5, an embargo on the supply of Russian oil products (gasoline, diesel, kerosene, naphtha and fuel oil) to the European Union, which accounted for 42% of the total export of these raw materials from Russia, came into force.

According to the International Energy Agency, the export of oil products from Russia in 2022 amounted to 2.85 million barrels. per day (about 142 million tons for the entire year), of which the EU accounted for 1.2 million barrels. per day.

On December 5, 2022, an embargo on the supply of Russian oil to the EU by tankers came into force (33% of Russian exports in 2021). At the same time, the European Union and the G7 ( USA , Canada, Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Japan) set a price ceiling for Russian oil supplied to third countries at $60 per barrel.

The price ceiling was also set for oil products at the level of $100 per barrel, and for products that are sold at a discount (fuel oil) - $45. This measure includes a ban on insurance and financing of tankers carrying Russian oil at a price above the agreed price ceiling.