From “bad guys” to “good guys”: US reveals plan for “shadow fleet”

The administration of US President Donald Trump plans to return some of the sanctioned tankers of the “shadow fleet” to legal oil transportation. To do this, the vessels must change owners and undergo repairs.

This was reported by Bloomberg, citing a statement by US Energy Secretary Chris Wright during a Citadel Securities event in New York.

According to the minister, the US government is working with investors who will purchase idle, sanctioned tankers, refurbish them, and use them to transport oil that is not subject to sanctions.

“We are going to transfer some of the ships from what I call the ‘bad guy fleet’ to the ‘good guy fleet.’ They will no longer be transporting sanctioned oil,” Wright said.

At the same time, he denied that the US was simply lifting sanctions against ships that previously transported oil from Russia or Iran. According to him, this is a special procedure for approving their return to legal trade.

Wright estimated the number of tankers in the world’s “shadow fleet” at approximately 1,600. He suggested that the proposed mechanism would allow dozens or even hundreds of vessels to return to legal transportation.

Thus, Washington seeks to increase the available tanker fleet amid disruptions to oil supplies due to the war in Iran and the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Recall that earlier the US considered the possibility of easing sanctions against the “shadow fleet” . According to Reuters, the US administration was looking for ways to reduce the cost of maritime transportation by allowing sanctioned tankers to transport oil that is not subject to restrictions.

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