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Fez – The Kingdom of Morocco is one of the main importers of Russian diesel in 2023, according to a report by Reuters on Tuesday.
Diesel exports from Russian ports to African countries increased last year, reaching 10.2 million tons compared to the 2.4 million tons in 2022. Morocco, Libya, Togo, Tunisia and Ghana were among top importers.
This trend is partly due to European Union sanctions against Russian refined products, in response to Russia’s illegal and unprovoked military aggression in Ukraine. In addition to African countries, this led other actors such as Turkey and Brazil to become the main importers of Russian diesel and maritime gas oil.
Moroccan imports of Russian diesel, which covered just 600,000 barrels during 2021, amounted to 2 million barrels in January 2023, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.
Additionally, Rabat has also reportedly received 1.2 million more barrels in February, according to the same source.
In the absence of the EU market, Russian diesel exports have found their way to other destinations such as Saudi Arabia, with around 1.9 million tons exported, and the United Arab Emirates, with almost 1.6 million tons.
“Russia has thus been able to form stable flows of oil product deliveries to countries considered friendly or neutral,” Russian outlet Sputnik News, quoted a source from Russian corporation Naans-media, saying.
While the increase in Russian exports is good news for the country’s economy, there has been uproar in recipient countries, with many denouncing manipulations of the fuel market.
This news raises questions about ethics concerning trade dynamics in the region and highlights the growing importance of imports of energy products, notably diesel, to meet the needs of developing African economies.
Read also: Russia Increases Diesel Supplies to Morocco Ahead of EU Embargo
