The government said the lifting of restrictions applies to companies that supply at least 50% of the produced diesel fuel to the domestic market. Restrictions on railway diesel exports remain in place, with the exception on exports to some ex-Soviet states. A resumption of Russian diesel exports will have the biggest impact on Turkey and Brazil, Russia's two biggest buyers this year. Traders expect the lifting of the diesel ban could mean Asian diesel cargoes which would have replaced Russian exports in Africa and Turkey will now stay in the region, adding to already ample supplies. The diesel ban will have the biggest impact because Russia is the world's top seaborne exporter of the fuel, just ahead of the United States.

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Persons: Transneft, Serena Huang, Maxim, Alexander Novak, Vortexa, William Maclean Organizations: TASS, Traders, REUTERS, Kommersant, Kremlin, FGE Energy, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, LONDON, SINGAPORE, Russia, Soviet, Baltic, Turkey, Brazil, Africa, Konstantinovo, Moscow, United States