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Western insurance companies state Russian oil cost cap does not work

A group of Western insurance providers has stated a Russian oil rate cap has become unenforceable and just pressed more ships into signing up with a shadow fleet, providing one of the harshest rebukes to the measure that had been implied to cut earnings to the Kremlin.

The G7 group of industrialised nations authorized a cost cap for Russian oil after Washington lobbied to suppress the Kremlin's. profits in the middle of the war in Ukraine while keeping Russian oil. streaming to prevent a an energy rate spike.

The cap permits Western shippers and insurance companies to get involved. in Russian oil trading as long as oil is offered below $60 per. barrel.

The International Group of P&I Clubs said in a declaration the. price cap has had little success because being presented 2. years ago as Russia has actually switched to its own fleet along with. ships outside Western oversight.

The statement was submitted as written evidence to a UK. parliamentary hearing on Tuesday. The group says it comprises 12. marine third-party liability insurance providers covering 87% of the. world's ocean-going tonnage.

The oil price cap appears significantly unenforceable as. more ships and associated services move into this parallel. trade. We estimate around 800 tankers have currently left the. International Group Clubs as a direct result of the introduction. of the oil rate cap, the statement said.

U.S. and European Union officials consider the price cap to. have been successful in cutting revenue to Russia while keeping oil. streaming and preventing a cost shock.

Enforcement of the rate cap by the U.S. Treasury has. decreased the variety of ships that are willing to bring Russian. crude, complicating Russian efforts to offer it and get revenues.

Nevertheless, Tom Keatinge, director of the Royal United Solutions. Institute's Centre for Financing and Security, told the hearing:. Within the reach of the UK and the G7 there are insurers who. are offering insurance coverage that remains in breach of the oil rate cap.

These are names that ought to be being contributed to the sanctions. list and needs to be drawn to the attention of the global. community that dealing with that specific insurance company is. going to get you into warm water, he added, without naming any. firms.