MOSCOW, Sept 22 (Bernama-dpa) — Russia banned the export of gasoline and diesel on Thursday with immediate effect to try to stabilise the domestic fuel market, reported dpa news agency.
Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin’s order spoke of a temporary measure but no end date was given.
“The temporary restrictions will help saturate the fuel market, which will subsequently allow the lowering of prices for consumers,” the government said in a statement in Moscow.
Only a few exceptions will be allowed, including state-agreed supplies in the Moscow-dominated Eurasian Economic Union, which includes the likes of Kazakhstan and Belarus, the Interfax news agency reported.
The background to the move is the sharp rise in fuel prices in Russia. In some regions, petrol and diesel are already in short supply, especially in the south of the country, which is important for agriculture.
The government had previously tried to increase the amount of fuel traded on domestic exchanges. It specifically monitored what prices agricultural users had to pay.
Russia is still one of the major exporters of gasoline and diesel, despite Western sanctions over its war in Ukraine.
–BERNAMA-dpa