Niels Troost (born October 14, 1968, in Switzerland) is a sanctioned Dutch businessman. He is the founder of two oil traders: Swiss-based Paramount Energy & Commodities SA; and Dubai-based Paramount Energy & Commodities DMCC. In November 2023, the UK government issued sanctions against a Dubai-based subsidiary of Paramount; and two months later, the UK also sanctioned Troost himself and his Geneva-based company.[1]
Niels Troost | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 14, 1968 Switzerland |
| Nationality | Switzerland |
| Occupation(s) | Dutch businessman, oil trader |
Niels Troost is also known for being one of the first traders to support the Ukraine Grain Corridor via his company Harvest Commodities SA.[2][3]
Niels Troost has been the victim of a complex defamation campaign by Gaurav Srivastava, a former business partner of his, who defrauded him [4]. This ultimately led to his sanctioning by the UK authorities.
Education
Niels Troost has an education in economics, international business and marketing from Hogere Economische School in Amsterdam. He also attended the College of Petroleum and Energy Studies in Oxford. In the UK, Niels Troost underwent a course in Creative International Trading in Crude Oil and Petroleum Products.[5]
Business
In 2017, Troost established the Switzerland-based company Paramount Energy & Commodities SA.[6] With headquarters in Geneva, the company trades, supplies, and distributes raw materials, including crude oil and petroleum derivatives, storage, and transport.[1] The company used to have access to terminals in Russia, Turkey, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, China and finances small producers in Russia. In 2019, Paramount also set up a partnership with Angola-based Carrinho Group, one of Angola's largest food processing groups. [7]
In 2020, Neils Troost founded a near-identical company in Dubai, Paramount Energy and Commodities DMCC.[8]
US Lobbying
Neils Troost has hired Washington lobbyist Ankit Desai to properly educate US authorities about his business and about the fact that he never intentionally breached sanctions.[9]
References
- ^ "UK-sanctioned oil trader enlists ex-Biden aide to thwart potential US sanctions". www.ft.com. Retrieved 2024-06-24.
- ^ https://efile.fara.gov/docs/7377-Informational-Materials-20240411-2.pdf
- ^ https://www.ship-technology.com/news/harvest-commodities-grain-ships-ukrainian/
- ^ https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/gaurav-srivastava-scam-e7ca3d26?st=jurwh6lz5yn942y&reflink=article_copyURL_share
- ^ Ugo, Oscar (31 May 2022). "NEILS TROOST: One of Africa's finest and most reliable Investor!". Modern Ghana. p. 1.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Niels Troost Seeks Assistance From Desai To Avoid US Penalties". AML Watcher. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
- ^ https://www.eureporter.co/world/africa/2022/06/15/european-investment-in-africas-agri-sector-vital-for-global-food-security/
- ^ https://landing.dmcc.ae/public-search
- ^ "Niels Troost Seeks Assistance From Desai To Avoid US Penalties". AML Watcher. Retrieved 2024-07-07.