Data from the analytics firm Kpler, cited by the Financial Times, shows the increase, and Energy Aspects gives a similar estimate of about 260,000 barrels per day during October.
The rise followed Trump's early-October announcement of a "diesel deal" with Putin. The US Treasury issued a temporary license permitting imports of Russian diesel until April 7, 2027; a ban on such supplies had been in place since 2022.
None of the tankers carrying fuel for the US reached the American coast. According to the FT, at least two vessels bound for the US changed course. Another tanker, the Agioi Fanendes, remains off the east coast awaiting a buyer.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill warned port and terminal operators in the state that they face sanctions if they accept vessels carrying Russian diesel. The FT links the absence of deliveries to potential buyers' concerns about legal consequences and reputational damage.
Exports also rose to other countries, including Brazil and Turkey. A White House spokesperson told journalists the statistics were a Trump achievement, saying the deal applied not only to the US but to the whole world. The White House told the FT that a larger supply on the global market would help lower prices for Americans even without direct deliveries.
According to Energy Aspects, Russia averaged about 700,000 barrels of diesel per day in October over the past five years. The company's analyst Richard Bronze expects exports to remain low in the coming months.
The increase in supplies was also influenced by a temporary energy truce, when Ukraine stopped striking Russian energy and oil-refining facilities. Since the strikes resumed, attacks have disabled almost a third of Russia's refinery capacity, the FT writes.
Russia has extended its ban on diesel exports until the end of January. Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said exceptions would be made for some supplies.