NJ Governor Warns Ports Against Russian Diesel Imports
Governor Mikie Sherrill on November 2 sent a letter to every port and terminal operator in New Jersey warning them not to accept Russian diesel fuel now headed toward the East Coast. The letter says importing the fuel violates the Ending Importation of Russian Oil Act, a 2022 law banning Russian Federation products, including diesel, from entering the United States.
Sherrill's letter points to an October 9 action by the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Asset Control, General License No. 135, which the Trump Administration says authorizes the sale, delivery, offloading or importation of Russian diesel. Sherrill argues the license cannot override the 2022 ban because only a presidential certification that Russia has withdrawn from Ukraine can lift it, and because the license requires a congressional review process that has not started.
The letter cites a federal penalty provision, 19 U.S.C. § 1595a(b), that could expose operators to fines equal to the value of any Russian fuel brought in, with a five-year statute of limitations. Sherrill urged operators to turn away any tanker carrying the fuel.
What's next
- Watch whether any Russian diesel tanker actually attempts to dock at a New Jersey port.
- Watch for a federal or state legal challenge over the OFAC license's validity.
All sources
- Governor Sherrill Puts Port and Terminal Operators on Notice Against Accepting Donald Trump’s Illegal Russian Diesel — Government site: NJ.gov, 2026-11-03
