India is supplying about 60% of the diesel (gasoil) moving through Europe’s eastern transit route to reach European markets, according to reporting based on shipping and trade data. The trend follows a period when flows through the Bab-el-Mandeb shipping chokepoint nearly stall earlier in the year.
One outlet estimates that around 200,000 barrels per day of diesel transited the Bab-el-Mandeb in August on vessels bound for Europe, with volumes close to the level seen a year earlier. Other sources attribute the shift to reduced availability from major exporting regions: Russian diesel exports remain constrained and US shipments are declining. With European inventories reported as low and refinery maintenance approaching, some reporting warns the region faces heightened supply risks if disruptions continue.
While outlets differ slightly in how they frame the causes—emphasizing Russian constraints, US declines, or seasonal supply factors—they all point to India’s growing role in sustaining eastern diesel deliveries to Europe during a period of reduced alternative supply.
