Serbia's Russian-owned NIS oil firm seeks another sanctions waiver

ReutersApr 9, 2026 3:58 PM

BELGRADE, April 9 (Reuters) - Serbia's Russian-owned NIS NIIS.BEL oil company has sought another sanctions waiver from the United States to allow it to import crude oil until the completion of its sale to Hungary's MOL MOLB.BU, state RTS TV reported on Thursday.

The previous waiver granted by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) expires on April 17.

NIS operates Serbia's only oil refinery in the northern town of Pancevo, and supplies 80% of the Balkan country's fuel needs.

OFAC imposed sanctions on NIS in October as part of broader measures targeting Russia's ⁠energy sector over Moscow's war in Ukraine and demanded divestment of the majority stake held by Gazprom GAZP.MM (11.3%) and Gazprom Neft SIBN.MM (44.9%).

The Serbian government has a 29.9% stake, with the remainder held by small shareholders and employees.

MOL said in January that it had signed a binding agreement with the Russian companies to buy their stake in NIS, with OFAC last month giving MOL until May 22 to negotiate the sale.

Serbia mainly imports crude oil from Kazakhstan, Nigeria and Guyana via the Croatian island of Krk, from where it is transported through the JANAF JANF.ZA pipeline.

Disclaimer: The information provided on this website is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be considered financial or investment advice.

Recommended Articles

AST SpaceMobile Shares Plunge in Overnight Trading, What Happened? Will It Affect SpaceX?

TradingKey - In the early hours of April 19, AST SpaceMobile’s (ASTS.US) seventh broadband communication satellite, BlueBird 7, launched from Cape Canaveral aboard Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket. While the rocket’s first stage was successfully recovered, the second stage deployed the satellite into

Is Netflix Still Worth Buying After a 10% Stock Slump? Who Is the Better Investment Compared to Disney?

TradingKey - After the market close on April 16, streaming giant Netflix delivered a seemingly impressive Q1 earnings report: revenue grew 16% year-over-year to $12.25 billion, exceeding the market expectation of $12.17 billion; earnings per share (EPS) reached $1.23, nearly doubling from $0.66 in t

Allbirds Ditches Sneakers and Pivots to AI Computing - Is BIRD Stock Still Worth Buying After a 600% Surge?

TradingKey - Allbirds surged 600% after announcing a full pivot to GPU leasing as NewBird AI. Shares pulled back 30% the next day. Key support $10, targets $13.30 and $15.90.

Nvidia Launches Ising Model Driving Quantum Sector Surge, QUBT vs IONQ, Which Is More Worth Investing In?

TradingKey - Following Nvidia’s launch of the Ising model, the quantum computing sector was rapidly galvanized; however, a company’s own commercialization progress remains the true determinant of its investment value. In comparison, IonQ’s revenue growth and execution capabilities are clearer, while QUBT is in an earlier stage, offering greater potential upside along with higher risk.

Why the Dollar’s Continuous Depreciation Still Fails to Save the Yen? When Will the Yen Strengthen?

TradingKey - As the U.S. Dollar Index continues to pull back from its highs amid easing geopolitical tensions and weakened rate cut expectations, the Japanese yen, instead of strengthening, has persistently hovered around the key psychological level of 160, repeatedly nearing the Japanese authoritie

Featured Tools