Output had fallen to about 160,000 tonnes a day in the first half of October from 175,000 tonnes in September, the sources said. After export quotas appeared in mid-October, production began to climb and approached 180,000 tonnes a day.
Domestic consumption typically falls to about 140,000 tonnes a day in October as the harvest and grain collection end and the summer peak in road haulage passes. That leaves at least 40,000 tonnes a day, or more than 1 million tonnes a month, available for export, Reuters calculated.
Of that volume, about 0.2–0.3 million tonnes may be needed for supplies to neighbouring countries, the sources said. They said the government, while keeping the diesel export ban imposed in August, is regulating shipments through quotas to control the domestic market and production volumes. Certain quotas were lifted from the ban on October 1.
Trump said Russia would supply the United States with more than 300,000 tonnes of diesel immediately, a further 500,000 tonnes in November and 1 million tonnes shortly after that. He said Russia would supply another 3 million tonnes on top. According to the US president, the deal provides for the export of 4.8 million tonnes of Russian diesel to the US and world markets.
According to ship-tracking service LSEG, a Malta-flagged tanker carrying 40,000 tonnes of Russian diesel bound for New York appeared in the system on October 23. The same day, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said deliveries would continue rhythmically after the first tanker was dispatched.
Imports of Russian oil and petroleum products into the United States were banned after Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine began. The deal has been criticised by both Republicans and Democrats. Trump called it "the right choice for the American people" ("правильным выбором для американского народа").