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Russia Set to Restrict Gasoline Exports for 2 Months – Reuters

Andrei Lyubimov / Moskva News Agency

The Russian government plans to implement a tighter ban on gasoline exports, including for producers, in an effort to stabilize domestic fuel prices, Reuters reported Thursday, citing three industry sources familiar with the plans.

“It's all been decided [with the ban]. For now, it's for August and September,” one source said on condition of anonymity. 

Another source indicated the order could be signed before the end of the month.

Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak's office declined to comment on the pending restrictions.

Novak said earlier this month that authorities were considering a gasoline export ban, but any decision would depend on trends in the market.

Wholesale gasoline prices on the St. Petersburg International Mercantile Exchange have risen for eight consecutive trading sessions since last week.

On Thursday, wholesale prices for AI-95 gasoline reached a historic high.

In late January, Russia extended a temporary gasoline export ban through February, exempting only fuel producers.

According to sources and Reuters calculations, Russia produced 18.6 million metric tons of gasoline between January and May 2025, of which 15.8 million tons were supplied to the domestic market.

During the same period, Russia boosted gasoline exports by rail to ports and border crossings by nearly 25% compared to the first five months of 2024, reaching 2.51 million tons.

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