Russia began shipping naphtha to the Asian continent with the Malta-flagged tanker Northernlight, carrying a cargo of 60,000 metric tons of the product. It departed from the Russian port of Vysotsk on June 23 and unloaded 27,000 tons at the Vietnamese terminal of Khánh Hòa.
According to Reuters, the remainder of the shipment is destined for the port of Dalian, China, as a strategy to consolidate new trade relations amid the ongoing conflict with Ukraine.
“Naphtha, a hydrocarbon used in petrochemicals and as a gasoline additive, has become a key product for Russia since the European Union banned its petroleum derivatives in 2023. To evade these restrictions, Moscow has woven an export network based on aggressive discounts, alternative insurance companies, and the increasing use of the so-called ‘ghost fleet,’ which allows it to circumvent the price caps imposed by the G7.”
This first shipment of naphtha to Vietnam, which was not part of the list of regular customers for Russian fuels, occurs amid diplomatic tension with the United States and its regional partners, as a strategy in the energy market, which is the financial pillar of the Russian war machine.
M.Pino
Source: latoradigital
(Reference image source: CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash)
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