Washington: The United States has extended by one month a waiver allowing certain transactions involving Russian oil already in transit at sea, according to an official statement issued by the US Treasury Department.
The order, issued on Monday by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) under the United States Department of the Treasury, extends the exemption covering Russian crude oil that was loaded onto vessels on or before April 17 and was previously due to expire on May 16. The new waiver will now remain in effect until June 17.
The Treasury order stated that “General License No. 134B,” issued on April 17, 2026, has been replaced and superseded in its entirety by “General License No. 134C,” effective May 18, 2026.
The waiver temporarily allows certain transactions linked to Russian oil shipments already at sea, despite ongoing sanctions imposed on Moscow over geopolitical tensions.
Earlier, the United States had also issued similar exemptions for select countries, including India, permitting limited purchases of Russian oil under time-bound licences. Those waivers were introduced in March and later extended to additional countries before expiring in April.
The latest order continues to maintain restrictions on transactions involving entities or individuals connected to Iran, North Korea, Cuba, and certain regions of Ukraine, the Treasury said.
The move reflects Washington’s continued effort to balance enforcement of sanctions with global energy market stability, particularly in managing supply disruptions caused by restrictions on Russian oil exports.
Officials have not indicated whether further extensions will be granted beyond the current deadline.
