... and maintaining stability, which is especially important for commodity market participants and traders amid global uncertainty. The U.S. Temporarily Permits Energy Transactions with Russian Banks: What Does It Mean for Russia? The Essence of the Authorization The U.S. Department of the Treasury has temporarily eased sanctions on energy-related operations for a number of Russian banks, including the Central Bank, Sberbank, VTB, and Rosbank. This decision, effective until April 30, also includes ...

... central banks, particularly the Federal Reserve (Fed) in the US, to sharply increase interest rates. By 2025, inflation in the US and Europe is expected to slow significantly from peak values but will remain above the target of 2%, keeping monetary authorities on high alert. The Fed paused its interest rate hikes during 2024, and toward 2025, it began to cautiously signal a possible easing of policy if inflation continued to decline. As of early May 2025, the Fed's base rate remains at elevated ...

... reducing gasoline and diesel production. As a result, wholesale prices on the St. Petersburg International Mercantile Exchange approached a threshold level, at which oil companies stop receiving damping subsidies—this situation alarmed the market and authorities. The authorities and fuel companies are developing a set of measures to stabilize the situation in the oil products market. Key steps being discussed and partially implemented include: Complete export ban on gasoline for all producers—media ...

... ban on gasoline exports until December 31, 2024, as reported in the government's Telegram channel. It was initially introduced in March until August 31, but the measure was suspended between May and July due to the saturation of the fuel market. Authorities explained that the decision to extend the ban was necessary to ensure stability in the fuel market during the ongoing seasonal demand and planned repairs at oil refineries. The restriction will not affect supplies under international intergovernmental ...

... falling subsidies and expectations of export restrictions for speculative price hikes. Exchange prices set benchmarks for small wholesale, subsequently influencing retail prices. Government Measures and Market Regulation To contain the price surge, the authorities have taken a series of steps to regulate the fuel market. At the end of July and the beginning of August 2025, the government implemented emergency measures aimed at increasing domestic supply and cooling price dynamics. The main instruments ...