Russia’s government lifted a temporary ban on the bulk of gasoline exports supplied by producers, while extending the restrictions for other exporters, such as independent traders and re-sellers, until Jan. 31, 2025, it said on Saturday.

The initial ban on gasoline exports was set to expire at the end of this year. The ban does not include supplies to the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union of some former Soviet states as well as countries, such as Mongolia, with which Russia has inter-governmental agreements on fuel supplies.

“The decision was taken to maintain a stable situation in the domestic fuel market, support the economy of oil refining, and counteract grey exports of motor gasoline,” the statement says.

The top gasoline producers in Russia are Gazprom Neft’s SIBN.MM Omsk refinery, Lukoil’s LKOH.MM NORSI oil refinery in Nizhny Novgorod and Rosneft’s ROSN.MM Ryazan refinery.

Russia in 2023 produced 43.9 million metric tons of gasoline and exported about 5.76 million tons, or around 13% of its production.

The biggest importers of Russian gasoline are mainly African countries, including Nigeria, Libya, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates.

Source: Reuters reported by Maxim Rodionov and Vladimir Soldatkin edited by Jan Harvey and Toby Chopra