Serbian oil company NIS announced that it has submitted a new request to the US Department of the Treasury for a special license, seeking to delay the full enforcement of US sanctions, which are scheduled to take effect on 28 April. The request aims to ensure the company can continue its operations without disruption beyond this date, as the current license, granted on 28 March, will expire then.
NIS also reiterated that, on 14 March, it had formally requested to be removed from the SDN (Specially Designated Nationals) list, which includes individuals and entities targeted under specific US sanctions programs. Despite the challenging situation, the company emphasized its commitment to maintaining a steady supply of petroleum products to the domestic market and ensuring social stability for its workforce.
This is the second time that the US has granted a delay in response to NIS’s request. The extension, which will expire on 28 April, was supported by the governments of Serbia and Hungary, as well as the Croatian company managing the JANAF oil pipeline.
NIS was placed on the US sanctions list on 10 January due to its ownership ties with the Russian company GazpromNeft. The sanctions were imposed under the secondary sanctions mechanism, targeting NIS for its association with GazpromNeft, which is subject to Western sanctions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
NIS remains the only company in Serbia involved in oil exploration, production, refining, and natural gas production.
