China-bound Russian oil tanker diverts to India as imports rise post US waiver

A Russian oil tanker, initially headed for China, changed its course and is currently on its way to India. The development comes at a time when India has stepped up its import of Russian oil after the Trump administration gave a waiver to New Delhi to temporarily increase its import of Russian crude.

According to a report in Bloomberg, the Russian tanker, Aqua Titan, is set to arrive in New Mangalore with Ural cargo that was loaded at a port in the Baltic Sea in the latter part of January.

Referring to ship-tracking data, the report further stated that the Aframax vessel originally signalled the Chinese port of Rizhao as its destination before changing course in Southeast Asian waters in mid-March.

After the concession by US President Donald Trump to buy more Russian oil, India has reportedly bought 30 million barrels of Russian oil.

Return of buyers shifts flows

Since then, a wider set of countries has been cleared to resume buying Russian crude, a shift that is expected to trigger further rerouting of shipments away from China. In recent months, China has emerged as Moscow’s fallback buyer after India scaled back its intake. The re-entry of buyers, including Japan and South Korea, is likely to place upward pressure on prices.

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According to cargo tracking website Vortexa Ltd., at least seven tankers carrying Russian oil have altered their destinations mid-voyage, switching from China to India. The data indicates that all of India’s major refiners have re-entered the market for Russian crude.

Further diversions tracked

Separately, ship-tracking data show that the Suezmax Zouzou N. is now signalling Sikka in India as its next port of call, with an estimated arrival on March 25. The vessel is transporting Kazakh CPC Blend crude, as per Kpler.

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It had departed from Novorossiysk on the Black Sea and initially headed toward waters off Rizhao before reversing course in early March and proceeding toward India.

Jag Laadki reaches Mundra

Meanwhile, the Indian-flagged tanker Jag Laadki has reached Adani Ports’ Mundra terminal in Gujarat, carrying about 80,886 metric tonnes of crude sourced from the UAE and loaded at Fujairah, reported ANI.

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The vessel, measuring 274.19 metres in length with a beam of 50.04 metres, has a deadweight tonnage of roughly 164,716 tonnes and a gross tonnage of around 84,735 tonnes. Its arrival highlights Mundra’s role in handling large-scale crude shipments that feed refinery demand.

Tensions in West Asia

These movements come amid heightened tensions in West Asia. Earlier, two Indian-flagged LPG carriers crossed the Strait of Hormuz and arrived in India on March 16 and 17.

Authorities said maritime activity continues under close watch, with naval deployments and coordination efforts in place to ensure uninterrupted operations.