Moscow, November 17 – The Russian government has announced the lifting of a temporary ban on the export of gasoline from the country, according to the Ministry of Energy. In a statement, the ministry said, “The Government of the Russian Federation has decided to lift the temporary ban on the export of automotive gasoline, which was introduced on September 21 as part of a set of measures to stabilize the price situation in the domestic motor fuel market.” The decision was made to prevent the unloading of oil refining plants and ensure high levels of production of commercial automotive gasoline. The stabilization of prices in the domestic market was also taken into account. The cost of fuel on the stock exchange in Russia began to rise in the spring and remained at a record level for several months. Retail prices also increased significantly. Experts explained the situation, including the gray market deliveries. As a result, on September 21, the government banned the export of gasoline and diesel fuel from Russia. Later, on October 6, the cabinet of ministers approved additional measures, including the full return of cushion payments and the lifting of the ban on diesel fuel exports through pipelines for those who supply at least 50 percent to the domestic market. Additionally, an export duty of 50,000 rubles per ton was introduced for non-fuel producers. Furthermore, the government increased the mandatory sales quotas on the exchange for AI-95 gasoline to 15 percent and for diesel fuel to 12.5 percent.
