An Eswatini-flagged tanker Ping Shun carrying around 600,000 barrels of Iranian crude, which was on course for Gujarat’s Vadinar port, changed its declared destination to Dongying in China’s Shandong province after nearing the Indian coast, according to ship tracking data. Data from commodity analytics firm Kpler showed the vessel taking a sharp turn south after initially indicating arrival at Vadinar between late Thursday and early Friday. Trade sources cited payment-related issues as a likely reason for the diversion, with sellers reportedly tightening terms and moving away from earlier credit windows. The shift comes amid a temporary sanctions waiver issued by the US on March 21, allowing transactions involving Iranian crude already loaded on vessels to continue till April 19. The crude aboard the tanker was loaded earlier this month at Iran’s Kharg Island facility and is understood to fall under the waiver. While changes in declared destinations are not uncommon in sanctioned oil trade, the vessel’s initial route suggested it was indeed headed for India. It remains unclear which Indian refiner was to receive the cargo.
