Morocco increased its imports of Russian petroleum products in August, defying ongoing Western sanctions on Russian energy exports, according to a report from Moroccan outlet Hespress. In total, African nations imported about 994,000 tons of Russian petroleum products that month. Of this, Morocco accounted for 188,000 tons—an increase of more than 50,000 tons compared to July.
Other North African countries also upped their purchases: Egypt doubled its imports of Russian diesel to 141,000 tons in August, and Tunisia received 127,000 tons.
Broader global trends show some declines in Russian exports elsewhere. Over the first eight months of 2025, Turkish ports took in just over 10 million tons of Russian petroleum products, which represents a 7% year-on-year decrease. Brazilian ports also registered a 16% drop, down to 5.2 million tons, allowing American suppliers to boost their shipments to Brazil amid shifting global energy flows.
