New Jersey Governor Warns Ports Against Handling Russian Diesel

Warning to ports over Russian fuel

November 3, 2026, 11:30 a.m. Central

New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill has warned the state’s port and terminal operators against receiving Russian diesel, setting up a legal dispute with the Trump administration over fuel imports covered by a Treasury Department license.

In a November 2 statement, the Democratic governor argued that a 2022 federal law banning Russian petroleum imports remains in force and that a federal license cannot override it. She warned of possible penalties and said at least one tanker might be headed toward New Jersey.

Her position is a legal argument, not a court ruling. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that it remains unclear whether any Russian fuel is headed for the state. This report has not established that a shipment has arrived or been turned away.

What the federal license says

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control announced General License 135 on October 9. The license authorizes certain transactions otherwise prohibited under specified sanctions regulations relating to the sale, delivery, offloading and importation of Russian-origin diesel, through April 7, 2027, subject to an exception involving accounts of certain Russian state institutions.

Sherrill contends that federal legislation imposes a separate ban that the license cannot displace. A Treasury official told the Washington Sun, as reported by the Daily Beast, that the license complies with applicable law. The reporting does not establish a court’s resolution of those competing views.

How the dispute developed

President Donald Trump announced a diesel arrangement with Russia in October as his administration sought to address high fuel prices, the Associated Press reported. Critics have argued that buying Russian fuel would help finance Moscow while its war against Ukraine continues.

News 12 New Jersey reported that Sherrill urged operators to turn away cargo and said New Jersey would use legal and regulatory tools to pursue compliance. Whether a tanker will seek to unload at a New Jersey port, and how the legal disagreement would be resolved, remain unclear.

Where the warning applies

The warning concerns port and terminal operators in New Jersey. The star marks the state’s approximate geographic center for context; it is not a tanker location, destination or specific port.

Map: OpenStreetMap contributors; state center: New Jersey Geological and Water Survey.

Key dates

April 2022 Congress enacted the Ending Importation of Russian Oil Act, according to Sherrill’s office.
October 9, 2026 Treasury issued General License 135.
November 2, 2026 Sherrill warned New Jersey port and terminal operators against accepting Russian diesel, according to her office.