Trade

An Irish alumina refinery owned by Russian metals group Rusal is part of a supply chain that appears to end with Russian arms manufacturers involved in the war in Ukraine, according to new reporting by The Guardian that cites leaked records and public trade data.

South African authorities have accused captive rhino breeder John Hume of leading one of the largest rhino-horn trafficking syndicates on record and using domestic reporting requirement to conceal his illicit activity.

The United States may remove sanctions in the coming days on about 140 million barrels of Iranian oil stranded aboard tankers at sea, according to The Guardian, which cited recent comments by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

The United States has lifted sanctions on three Belarusian fertilizer companies and the country’s state investment bank in exchange for Belarus freeing 250 political prisoners, a move made as the war in Iran continues to drive fertilizer prices higher.

A trader identified by The Wall Street Journal as a central figure in Russia’s shadow fleet has revived his oil business after the Iran war disrupted supplies from the Persian Gulf and boosted demand for Russian crude that had been stranded at sea.

The United States on Wednesday issued a general license broadly authorizing U.S. companies to do business with Venezuela’s state-run oil company PDVSA, a move that could unlock new investment and eventually increase the country’s crude production capacity.

North Sea oil executive Francesco Mazzagatti could soon be the subject of a worldwide asset freeze stemming from a London lawsuit alleging he siphoned funds from former business partners tied to an Iranian petrochemicals business.

Illicit Iranian oil shipments continue to move through Asian waters toward China, generating a critical revenue stream for Tehran and helping Beijing build large crude stockpiles despite sanctions and heightened regional conflict.

The U.S. Treasury Department has issued a second temporary authorization allowing buyers to take delivery of Russian oil cargoes already at sea, broadening a waiver granted last week to India alone as Washington seeks to ease pressure on crude prices during the ongoing conflict in Iran.

Senate Democrats are pressing for a congressional hearing on the Trump administration’s decision to ease sanctions on Russian oil, arguing that the step could benefit Moscow even as the Kremlin is providing support for Iranian forces.