China has taken a bold step by imposing sanctions on Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” a network of tankers transporting crude oil under sanctions, signaling that U.S. pressure might be influencing Beijing’s actions.
In a decisive move, Shandong Port Group, one of China’s largest port operators, announced that as of January 6, tankers linked to the shadow fleet are banned from docking, unloading, or accessing services at major eastern ports. These restrictions affect Qingdao, Rizhao, and Yantai — critical hubs in Shandong Province, an industrial powerhouse where much of China’s sanctioned oil imports from Russia, Iran, and Venezuela have historically entered.
The shadow fleet, consisting of approximately 669 tankers, has enabled Russia to sidestep Western sanctions by continuing to ship oil covertly. However, with Shandong’s ports processing about a fifth of China’s oil imports, these new measures could slow down the inflow of sanctioned crude.
China’s decision comes on the heels of a crackdown led by the U.S., UK, and EU in late 2024. These nations imposed restrictions on 180 tankers involved in transporting Russian-origin oil that violated a $60-a-barrel price cap. Bloomberg reported that over 100 vessels were forced to anchor and halt their operations.
Adding to the pressure, the outgoing Biden administration is reportedly planning a final wave of sanctions, blacklisting an additional 100 ships linked to the shadow fleet. Washington is also weighing broader measures, including a total embargo on Russian oil and the cancellation of oil and gas transaction licenses issued to sanctioned Russian banks like Sberbank and VTB.
Last year, China imported 1.74 million barrels of Russian oil daily through Shandong’s ports, underscoring the potential ripple effects of these new restrictions. While the full impact remains uncertain, this latest move highlights Beijing’s growing alignment with international sanctions against Moscow’s covert oil operations.
