File photo: Getty ImagesThere are concerns some Asian countries are beginning to hoard jet fuel as the Iran conflict drags on. News outlet Bloomberg has reported the South Korean government is discussing whether to redirect export-bound jet fuel to the domestic market amid mounting supply pressures. South Korea is a major source of refined fuel imports to New Zealand, providing around half of the country's fuel, and South Korea itself relies heavily on crude oil imports from the war-disrupted Middle East. "But it's also quite relevant for jet fuel, particularly South Korea which is a relatively important refiner of jet fuel," he said. Eckhold said even the west coast of the United States was not immune, because it got most of its jet fuel from South Korea.

Source: Otago Daily Times March 26, 2026 12:35 UTC