RoydadNaft –  Russia has introduced temporary restrictions on exports of gasoline and diesel in order to stabilise the domestic market, the government said on Thursday.

It did not specify how the restrictions would work. The energy ministry said separately that they would prevent unauthorised “grey” exports of motor fuels.

“Temporary restrictions will help saturate the fuel market, which in turn will reduce prices for consumers,” the government said in a statement.

In recent months Russia has suffered shortages of gasoline and diesel. Wholesale fuel prices have spiked, although retail prices are capped to try to curb them in line with official inflation.

Traders say the fuel market has been hit by factors including maintenance at oil refineries, bottlenecks on railways and the weakness of the rouble, which incentivises fuel exports.

The government statement added: “Previously, to stabilise the situation on the fuel market, the government raised the mandatory supply volumes of motor gasoline and diesel fuel to the commodity exchange …

“Daily monitoring of fuel purchases for the needs of agricultural producers with prompt adjustment of volumes has also been set up.”

Russia exported 4.817 million tons of gasoline and almost 35 million tons of diesel last year.