Japan has resumed importing crude oil from Russia

According to Bloomberg, the Japanese government is pushing importers to accumulate fuel reserves in order to avoid shortages in the future. According to vessel tracking data, the Aframax Zaliv Baikal ship is being sent to Japan with Russian oil.

Judging by the delivery data, the island state has not imported Russian raw materials since May of this year. Despite supporting anti-Russian sanctions, Tokyo refrained from taking strict measures regarding oil and natural gas.

The Japanese authorities pointed out that the Sakhalin-2 project is a key source of liquefied natural gas supplies to Japan (covers 9% of consumption, Japanese Mitsui (12.5%) and Mitsubishi (10%) owned shares in it). By supporting the introduction of a ceiling on Russian oil prices within the framework of the "Big Seven", Japan has achieved an exception for supplies from the Sakhalin-2 project.

It's worth reminding that on the eve of the Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree according to which special measures are being introduced in connection with the establishment of marginal prices for oil and petroleum products from Russia. The document prohibits deliveries if the ceiling is specified in the contracts. Western countries have set the ceiling at $60 per barrel.