The U.S. has allowed Kazakhstan to continue transiting oil from Russia to China

The U.S. government has extended Kazakhstan’s authorization to transport Russian oil through its pipeline system to China until March 19, 2027. 

According to Bloomberg, citing the Kazakh Ministry of Energy, the relevant license was issued by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The previous agreement was set to expire in April 2026, but its extension will allow for the maintenance of stable supplies of approximately 200,000 barrels per day.

Washington’s decision comes amid high volatility in the global energy market caused by the conflict in the Middle East. It effectively eases sanctions pressure on Moscow, as without this license, Russia would be forced to seek alternative logistics routes. The situation is complicated by regular drone attacks on Russian oil terminals in the Baltic Sea, making overland transit through Kazakhstan critically important for fulfilling export obligations to Beijing.

Currently, Kazakhstan transports 10 million tons of Russian crude oil to China annually. Officials from Astana and Moscow are already negotiating the possibility of increasing these volumes to 12.5 million tons per year. In parallel, Donald Trump announced the possibility of reaching agreements with Tehran in the coming weeks, which could further alter the dynamics of the oil market. Despite the general policy of restricting the aggressor’s revenues, the U.S. took this step to prevent a global shortage of raw materials.

Russian gas supplies to European countries via the Turkish Stream pipeline in March 2026 increased by 22% compared to the same period last year. 

The U.S. has temporarily lifted sanctions on several Russian vessels. This applies to container ships and tankers flying the Russian flag that were already en route. New shipments and transactions with Iran remain prohibited.