OFAC issues a time-limited diesel authorization
The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control issued Russia-related General License 135 on October 9. The license authorizes transactions otherwise prohibited under specified Russia-related sanctions regulations when they relate to the sale, delivery, offloading or importation—including importation into the United States—of diesel fuel of Russian Federation origin. The authorization runs through 12:01 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on April 7, 2027.
The license is narrow rather than a repeal of sanctions
General License 135 covers the diesel-related transactions described in the document under 31 CFR parts 587 and 589. It does not authorize a debit to an account on the books of a U.S. financial institution belonging to the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, the National Wealth Fund of the Russian Federation or Russia’s Ministry of Finance. Companies involved in purchasing, financing, shipping or receiving fuel still need to screen counterparties and confirm that each transaction fits the license and other applicable law.
Authorization does not guarantee a specific supply volume
The license removes specified sanctions barriers, but it does not set a minimum shipment volume, delivery date, refinery allocation or U.S. retail price. Cargo availability, shipping time, port capacity, refining and distribution logistics, regional inventories and commercial contracts will determine whether additional barrels reach particular markets. Fleets should treat the policy as a potential supply change rather than as proof of an immediate price reduction.
This action does not change trucking compliance rules
General License 135 concerns sanctions authorization for Russian-origin diesel transactions. It does not change federal or state motor-fuel taxes, International Fuel Tax Agreement reporting, hours-of-service limits, vehicle requirements or the conditions governing highway use of dyed diesel. Carriers should keep this action separate from the October executive order directing temporary federal tax and penalty relief for certain highway use of dyed diesel.
Fuel-surcharge timing remains a contract issue
A carrier’s fuel surcharge normally follows the index, baseline, mileage assumptions and update schedule written into its customer agreement. A government authorization or wholesale-market headline does not automatically revise that formula. Fleets should continue documenting actual purchase price by location and date, compare it with the applicable published index and communicate changes according to the contract rather than promising savings before they appear in operating data.
Driver and fleet takeaway
Do not change fueling plans solely because the import license was issued. Dispatch and fuel teams should monitor verified retail and wholesale prices on the lanes they operate, review regional supply conditions and update fuel-stop guidance only when actual prices or availability change. Managers should stress-test cost per mile and surcharge recovery under several fuel-price scenarios. Any company directly handling Russian-origin diesel transactions should obtain sanctions and trade-compliance review, retain supporting records and confirm that activity occurs within the license window and its stated limits.
U.S. Treasury OFAC — Russia-related General License 135
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