Photo: Chattus / CC BY-SA 4.0 (archive photo)
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill on Monday, November 2, put the state’s port and terminal operators on notice that importing Russian diesel violates federal law, warning in a letter that doing so could carry serious civil and criminal consequences.
The letter follows the Treasury Department’s October 9 authorization of transactions related to the sale, delivery, offloading and importation of Russian diesel fuel. Russia has since dispatched multiple diesel tankers to the United States, including at least one that may be headed for the New Jersey coast, according to the letter.
Sherrill’s letter argues that the 2022 Ending Importation of Russian Oil Act banned Russian diesel and that its sanctions can be lifted only if the president certifies that Russia has agreed to withdraw its forces from Ukraine, a certification that has not been made.
“Every port and terminal operator, intermediary, and buyer is on notice: do not help bring illegal Russian diesel into New Jersey,” Sherrill said in a statement. She pledged to use all legal and regulatory tools available to keep the state’s ports from being used to advance interests contrary to those of the United States and New Jersey.
For port workers, terminal operators and fuel buyers in New Jersey, the message is direct: anyone who helps bring the Russian shipments ashore could face civil or criminal penalties, and the state says it is watching.
JBizNews Desk | Trenton
© JBizNews.com. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution is strictly prohibited.
