US EditionTraders rebrand Venezuelan oil for China as Brazilian, sources and tanker trackers say
- Since mid-2024, traders have disguised Venezuelan heavy crude as Brazilian oil bound for China by falsifying tanker locations and altering shipment documentation to indicate a Brazilian origin.
- This rebranding arose to bypass U.S. Sanctions imposed since 2019 aimed at restricting Venezuelan oil exports funding Maduro's government.
- In February 2025, the Liberia-registered tanker Karina, operating under the name "Katelyn," took on Venezuelan Merey 16 crude oil totaling approximately 1.8 million barrels and manipulated its tracking data to falsely indicate a departure from Brazil.
- China increased Venezuelan oil imports to 463,000 barrels per day in early 2025, yet less than 10% was reported as Venezuelan, with most labeled as Malaysian or Brazilian.
- This practice reduced voyage time by four days and helped Chinese refiners cut costs while circumventing sanctions on Venezuelan crude.
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15 Articles
Traders rebrand Venezuelan oil for China as Brazilian, sources and tanker trackers say
Traders have rebranded more than $1 billion of Venezuelan oil shipments to China as Brazilian crude over the past year, according to two tanker tracking firms, company documents and four traders, helping buyers to cut logistics costs and circumvent U.S. sanctions.
Traders rebrand Venezuelan oil for China as Brazilian, sources and tanker trackers say – Oil & Gas 360
(BOE Report) – Traders have rebranded more than $1 billion of Venezuelan oil shipments to China as Brazilian crude over the past year, according to two tanker tracking firms, company documents and four traders, helping buyers to cut logistics costs and circumvent U.S. sanctions. Independent refiners in China are the main buyers of seaborne oil shipments from countries sanctioned by the United States, with offshore Malaysia serving as a key trans-
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