Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on October 31, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleBulgaria bans fuel exports to the EU to stabilize its market following U.S. sanctions on Lukoil. The ban excludes refueling ships and aircraft.
(Reuters) -Bulgaria's parliament temporarily banned on Friday exports of some fuels, mainly diesel and aviation fuel, to EU member states to ensure the stability of the local market following U.S. sanctions on Russia's Lukoil, which runs the country's biggest oil refinery.
Last week, Bulgaria announced it would take measures to secure uninterrupted supplies of oil and oil derivatives after the U.S. imposed sanctions on Lukoil and Rosneft over Moscow's war in Ukraine.
The parliamentary decision, initiated by ruling parties, was taken with 135 votes in favour, four against and 42 abstentions.
The ban will not apply to the refuelling of domestic and foreign ships, aircraft and deliveries to the armed forces of European Union and NATO member states, according to the BTA news agency.
Parliament instructed the director of the customs agency to enforce the ban on the fuel products and authorised him to allow the export of certain products at his discretion.
It also instructed the chairman of the State Agency for State Reserve and Wartime Stocks to inspect the fuel reserve stock quantities within one week.
Lukoil runs Bulgaria's 190,000 barrel-per-day Burgas oil refinery, operates more than 200 petrol stations and has a fuel transport and depot network.
On Thursday, Lukoil said it had accepted an offer from global commodity trader Gunvor to buy its foreign assets, which Russia's second-largest oil company was seeking to sell after the Washington sanctions.
(Reporting by Stoyan Nenov, writing by Daria Sito-Sucic; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
Fuel exports refer to the sale of fuel products, such as diesel and aviation fuel, from one country to another, which can be influenced by regulations and market conditions.
Sanctions are restrictive measures imposed by countries or international bodies to influence a nation's behavior, often targeting specific industries or companies.
A customs agency is responsible for regulating the import and export of goods, ensuring compliance with laws, and collecting duties and taxes on traded items.
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