US issues new 30-day waiver for sale of Russian oil, adding Cuba, North Korea exceptions

The United States issued a new general license on Thursday to replace an earlier waiver for the sale of Russian-origin crude oil and petroleum products loaded on tankers as of March 12, according to the US Treasury Department.

The license, which expires on April 11, replaces and supersedes a similar 30-day sanctions waiver issued on March 12.

While the main terms remain identical to those in the license issued earlier, Thursday's waiver specifically excludes transactions involving North Korea, Cuba and Crimea.

The temporary easing of sanctions on Russian oil is a part of the Trump administration's attempt to tame energy prices that have been driven higher by the Middle East conflict.

(Reporting by Ismail Shakil in Ottawa and Ryan Patrick Jones in Toronto; Editing by Caitlin Webber and David Ljunggren)