Experts say the shipping industry’s ‘moral sanctions’ against Russian trade are unlike anything ‘in the history of mankind’

Experts say the shipping industry’s ‘moral sanctions’ against Russian trade are unlike anything ‘in the history of mankind’

When Shell bought Russian crude oil one week after the invasion of Ukraine, the internet, well, freaked out. The energy giant and vowed to "choose alternatives to Russian oil wherever possible." In a posted to Twitter, Shell said it would donate the profits from the exchange to humanitarian efforts in Ukraine. Shell's purchase was entirely legal and complied with sanctions at the time. But in that moment, the public decided that simply following the rules would no longer cut it. While the Russia-Ukraine conflict isn't the first crisis to be broadcasted on social media, it is the "most viral" war, as reported. For many global companies, keeping a clean name is more valuable than keeping Russian clients. The energy giant's response is just one example of what experts are calling "moral sanctions," or voluntary business limitations created in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In the notoriously ruthless shipping and commodities industry, the trend has led companies like Shell to avoid all trade associated with Russia — even when it's legal. "Historically, companies have done the minimum amount of sanctions," Ami Daniel, CEO of the maritime risk consultancy Windward, told Insider. "However, what we've seen in the last month is