Germany to tap strategic reserves as fuel pressure persists
Berlin's move would add supply to a market already contending with high pump prices and prior tax relief measures
Published
Germany said it plans to release as much as 15 million barrels of oil and petroleum products from its strategic stocks, according to the government.
The move would mark a shift from fiscal relief toward physical supply action. Berlin had repeatedly said it preferred to rely on steady fuel imports rather than tapping domestic reserves, a position it now appears to be reversing.
Germany has used its reserves before. In spring 2026 it agreed to release about 2.5 million tonnes of oil as part of an IEA-recommended release tied to the conflict in the Persian Gulf, according to Clean Energy Wire. That action was part of the largest coordinated stockpile release in the International Energy Agency's history, backed by all 32 member countries, the IEA said. Germany has required its petroleum companies to hold at least 90 days of supply since the 1970s, according to Deutschlandfunk. Separately, G7 countries agreed on October 2 to release up to 100 million barrels of diesel and crude over four months, coordinated by the IEA, following pressure from the Trump administration on allies including Germany and France over their diesel reserves, according to NBC News.
Unlike Germany's earlier fuel-tax cuts, which worked through consumer prices without changing the amount of oil on the market, a reserve release adds barrels directly to global supply. The scale under discussion, up to 15 million barrels, is large enough to weigh on crude prices if it reaches the market quickly, though it is a German-specific volume, smaller than global daily consumption, and comes after months of political pressure over fuel costs tied to Chancellor Merz's declining approval ratings.