Russia

Policy & Legal Updates

US Senators Urge Sanctions Targeting Intermediaries and Dual-Use Flows in China and UAE

Senior U.S. senators Jeanne Shaheen and Roger Wicker have urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to enforce sanctions under the newly enacted Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026. The lawmakers called for penalizing front companies and intermediaries in Dubai and Hong Kong, as well as dual-use tech supply lines in China, the UAE, and Türkiye. The majority of the legislation's provisions enter into force on October 18, 2026.

Policy & Legal Updates

US Senators Demand Sanctions Enforcement on China and UAE Trade Intermediaries

US Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Roger Wicker sent a letter urging the Trump administration to execute new sanctions ahead of an October 18 deadline. The lawmakers called for crackdowns on Russian oil trading intermediaries in Dubai and Hong Kong, as well as transit networks in China and the UAE. They also urged the Treasury Department to target illicit banking channels, specifically naming overseas branches including VTB Bank in Shanghai.

Policy & Legal Updates

UAE-Eurasian Economic Union Trade Deal Enters into Force Targeting $50B Trade

The Economic Partnership Agreement between the UAE and the Eurasian Economic Union entered into force on 6 October 2026. The pact grants preferential tariff access across over 86 percent of tariff lines and targets nearly $50 billion in annual trade by 2032.

Industry News

Chinese Fuel Exporters Halt Shipments Amid Persian Gulf Refined Product Reductions

Chinese fuel exporters have cancelled planned October shipments of diesel and gasoline to safeguard domestic inventories. The export halts follow reduced refined product flows from the Persian Gulf caused by refinery outages and shipping constraints. Supply deficits along Asia-Gulf trade routes were further compounded by an extension of Russian diesel export restrictions.