The Russian government has decided to impose a full ban on gasoline exports for all market participants starting April 1. The decision was reported on March 27 by the business publications Kommersant and RBC, as well as the state-controlled news agency TASS following a meeting between Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak and various oil companies and relevant government agencies.
According to TASS, the ban is to remain in place through July 31, although sources cited by RBC said the duration of the measure was not discussed at the meeting. As of the time of publication, the decision had not been officially confirmed.
The move would mark a return to strict restrictions that have already been used before. At the end of January 2026, the Russian government partially lifted the ban on gasoline exports for major fuel producers while keeping it in place for traders and small refineries. Now the restrictions are again set to apply to all exporters without exception.
Deputy Prime Minister Novak said as recently as March 26 that such a step was possible and stressed that the priority remained supplying the domestic market with fuel while keeping prices in check at a moment when fuel shortages caused by the ongoing conflict in Iran have made exports even more attractive to companies.
The decision to ban exports comes against the backdrop of rising gasoline prices inside Russia itself. According to the St. Petersburg Exchange, benchmark prices for 92-octane gasoline (AI-92) and 95-octane gasoline (AI-95) have risen by about 11% since early March.
At the same time, fuel sales on the exchange have been falling. According to the National Exchange Price Agency, gasoline sales dropped to 31,200 tons on March 26, down from more than 50,000 tons at the beginning of the month. The fall in 95-octane gasoline sales was especially sharp.
In previous years, restrictions on fuel exports were introduced as an anti-crisis measure. A full ban was first imposed in September 2023 in connection with a sharp rise in prices connected to gasoline shortages. Experts say there is no clear sign of an outright gasoline shortage in Russia as of today, but the market remains vulnerable. Amid high global energy prices, exports are more profitable than domestic deliveries, and the Kremlin is using export restrictions and the fuel damping mechanism to keep prices under control inside the country.
