Power Energy
Beyond the Waiver: How China''s Resumed Russian Oil Purchases Reveal a New Sanctions Evasion Blueprint
Chinese state-owned oil companies have resumed buying Russian crude after a U.S. sanctions waiver, but the deeper story lies in the transaction structure. This article analyzes how the shift to delivered-at-port (DAP) basis purchases at Kozmino port creates a de facto blueprint for insulating trade from future sanctions. We explore the strategic implications of this 'unwinding' period, the long-term decoupling of shipping from commodity transactions, and what it signals about the evolving resilience of Russia-China energy ties against Western financial pressure. This move is less about a temporary reprieve and more about stress-testing a new, more sanctions-proof trade architecture.