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Sherrill warns New Jersey ports against Russian diesel as tankers change course

Sherrill says the imports would break federal law as two sanctioned tankers changed course.

Published Nov 6, 2026 · 07:46 UTC4 reports

The short version

  • New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill warned port officials and terminal operators that accepting imported Russian diesel would violate federal law.[CBS News]
  • Sherrill's November 2 letter cited a congressional ban on Russian energy imports enacted in April 2022.[CBS News]
  • Trump announced an October 9 deal with Putin for over 300,000 metric tons of Russian diesel, and the Treasury issued a temporary license for its global supply; a White House spokeswoman said the deal lowers prices.[PBS NewsHour · CBS News]
  • Two sanctioned tankers that had declared U.S. East Coast destinations changed course toward Brazil and the Mediterranean, according to ship-tracking data; reporting does not say why.[PBS NewsHour]

Key facts

  • New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill warned local port officials and terminal operators against accepting imported Russian diesel, saying the shipments would violate federal law.[CBS News]
  • In a Nov. 2 letter, Sherrill said Congress banned energy imports from Russia in April 2022.[CBS News]
  • President Trump announced an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Oct. 9 to make more than 300,000 metric tons of Russian diesel available immediately to U.S. and global markets.[PBS NewsHour]
  • The Treasury Department announced a temporary general license to allow the supply of Russian diesel to the global market.[CBS News]
  • Two sanctioned tankers that departed from Primorsk originally declared U.S. East Coast destinations and later changed course toward Brazil and the Mediterranean, according to Kpler and MarineTraffic.com data.[PBS NewsHour]
  • A White House spokeswoman said the President secured a deal to supply global markets with diesel and lower prices for the United States and the world.[CBS News]

What remains uncertain

  • Whether the imports would violate federal law is contested; the legal position is Sherrill's assertion, and the reporting does not include a formal legal determination.[PBS NewsHour · CBS News]
  • The reporting does not establish why the two sanctioned tankers changed course or whether their cargo is destined for U.S. ports.[PBS NewsHour]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.