NJ governor warns gas companies of sanctions for importing Russian diesel

Gov. Mikie Sherrill has warned 12 energy companies that operate out of private ports and terminals in New Jersey that buying or unloading imported Russian fuel violates federal law, with lawbreakers facing millions of dollars in penalties.

Congress banned Russian fuel imports in April 2022 in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But fuel prices have skyrocketed since President Donald Trump launched his war against Iran, so he made a deal last month with Russian President Vladimir Putin to buy potentially millions of tons of oil. Administration officials soon after lifted sanctions on Russian diesel exports.

A bipartisan group of senators objected to the move as illegal, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky blasted it as a “weak decision,” predicting it would do little to bring down fuel prices.

But multiple oil tankers loaded with Russian diesel already are on their way to the East Coast. So Sherrill sent a letter Monday to gas companies that operate ports and terminals in Perth Amboy, Bayonne, Linden, Carteret, Port Reading, and Sewaren alerting them of the Russian Oil Act’s prohibition on Russian diesel exports. The ports and terminals regulated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey didn’t get the letter because they handle cargo, not petroleum products.

Neither Trump nor any administration officials have the authority to waive the act’s sanctions without certifying that Russia has agreed to withdraw from Ukraine or congressional review, Sherrill wrote.

“These actions are illegal, in part, because Vladimir Putin continues to engage in an illegal war of aggression against Ukraine,” she wrote. “Further, the U.S. is currently engaged in hostilities with Iran, whose military is responsible for the killing of 23 service members and wounding dozens of others. In purchasing oil from Russia, a known supplier and financial supporter of Iran, Donald Trump is providing funding for a country that is engaged in hostilities with America, up to and including killing American soldiers.”

Talking with the press Wednesday about Tuesday’s election results, Sherrill tied Trump’s Russian diesel deal to the routing Republicans suffered in the midterm elections, saying companies considering violating the law for profit should recognize the shifting political winds.

“Not holding corporations accountable, allowing people to break the law, and thinking you’re going to have the cover of Trump and MAGA Republicans, that is not the case anymore, and people are on notice,” Sherrill said.

Besides, the Russian Oil Act carries a five-year statute of limitations, and Trump will be out of office in two years, meaning he’ll be powerless to protect lawbreakers, she added.

A White House spokesperson said allowing the U.S. to accept diesel from Russia is consistent with similar actions previously taken by the Office of Foreign Assets Control and is “in compliance with all applicable laws.”

Sherrill advised the companies to turn away any tankers looking to unload in their ports.

“Any effort to profit from the illegal trade in Russian fuel will be met with harsh penalties,” she wrote in her letter.

State officials are now examining “every legal and regulatory tool” to prevent the fuel from making its way into the U.S. through New Jersey’s shores, she added.

“The answer cannot simply be that the president of the United States can break the law and nobody can hold him accountable,” Sherrill said Wednesday.