Biden Expected to Ban Russian Ships From Entering U.S. Ports

Ships at the Port of Long Beach in California.

Photo: MIKE BLAKE/REUTERS

The Biden administration is expected to ban Russian-flagged ships from entering U.S. ports, according to officials familiar with the matter, extending sanctions against the country following its invasion of Ukraine.

The move, which follows a similar ban in the U.K., would be largely symbolic. Russian commercial ships represent less than 1% of cargo volumes to the U.S., according to shipping and port officials. Russian firms own a large fleet of oil tankers but they usually aren’t Russian-flagged.

The world’s largest container ship operators already have stopped calling on Russian ports.

‘I expect an announcement from Washington today that will ban all Russian ships from our shores,” Gene Seroka, the executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, the nation’s biggest gateway.

A White House spokeswoman said the administration hadn’t made a decision.

Russia’s attack on Ukraine helped push the price of oil to over $100 a barrel for the first time since 2014. Here’s how rising oil costs could further boost inflation across the U.S. economy. Photo illustration: Todd Johnson

Russian ships have been banned from U.K. ports, part of a fresh raft of sanctions announced by Britain on Tuesday. That ban includes any vessels owned or operated by anyone connected to Russia and gives authorities new powers to detain Russian vessels.

“The ban on Russian ships from U.K. ports, and new economic sanctions against key Russian financial institutions including its central bank, in close coordination with our allies, will degrade Russia’s economy and help make sure Putin loses,” Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said.

On Tuesday, the Biden administration banned Russian flights from American airspace, following similar prohibitions by European and Canadian authorities.

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As combat intensifies and the number of casualties rises across Ukraine, the U.S. and some allies have put broad and tough sanctions in place against Russia, and are providing arms and other supplies to the Ukrainian people. Russian President Vladimir Putin is increasingly isolated from the world community, as the Russian people begin to feel some economic pain from the crisis. What is the situation in Ukraine? What could be Putin’s next steps? How effective have sanctions been, and what is the outlook for the world economy?

Write to Nancy A. Youssef at [email protected] and Costas Paris at [email protected]