the EU plans to ban the import of Russian fuel oil after August 10, which is six months earlier than the planned deadline, Reuters said with reference to its sources.
As traders explained, the fuel oil can fall under the restrictions ahead of schedule due to its customs code. The prohibitions of the European Union are based on special codes that customs uses. Technically, fuel oil refers to oil products, but in customs documents it is assigned to code 2707, which denotes coal. “Oils and other products of high -temperature distillation of coal resin are also attributed to this code; similar products in which the weight of aromatic components exceeds the weight of non -artistic components.” The fuel oil is assigned to code 2707 due to the content of aromatics exceeding 50%.
“There are some exceptions when petroleum products that are not obtained by distillation of coal will also be classified under code 2707 if they have similar chemical characteristics,” the anonymous official of the EU told Reuters.
According to sources familiar with the topic, Russia will not suffer from the ban on the import of fuel oil. “Only small volumes are now exported from Russia directly to European countries,” one of them said. The bulk of the cargo with Russian fuel oil has recently been sent to the oil hub of the UAE in Fujira and to the infrastructure of transshipment between the courts near the Greek port of Kalamat.
From August 10, the fifth package of anti -Russian sanctions comes into force, which includes a ban on the import of coal, wood, chemicals and other products from Russia.