The German Federal Ministry of Economics, headed by CDU’s Katherina Reiche, has ruled out any danger of a gasoline shortage in the country. In a reply to an inquiry from the Greens, the ministry stated that the federal government does not presently anticipate a physical lack of fuel, a position reported by the “Spiegel”.
That assessment appears to conflict with statements made by Reiche at a conference in the United States. “We still see no shortfalls in volume, but if the conflict does not end, we expect a problem by the end of April or May” the CDU minister said, according to the magazine. Here, “conflict” refers to the war in the Gulf. Iran has blocked the Strait of Hormuz for weeks following attacks by the United States and Israel, cutting roughly ten percent of global oil volumes. Ministry officials clarified that Reiche was referring to a worst‑case scenario in which the Middle East remains engaged in unending hostilities and the Hormuz passage remains permanently impassable.
Oil and gasoline expert Steffen Bukold of Hamburger Branchendienst Energycomment agrees that Germany is not in danger of a fuel shortage. “Unlike other European countries, Germany almost fully covers its own gasoline demand” Bukold told the “Spiegel”. Domestic refineries even produce slightly more gasoline than the country consumes, and they supply about 90 percent of the diesel market.
The only realistic scenario that could lead to a shortage at German fuel stations is an additional export halt by the United States. The US accounts for about ten percent of global oil demand. Should those imports disappear entirely-and not merely be diverted to other markets-European supplies could become tight.
Despite this, ministry officials do not seem overly concerned. In response to the Greens’ inquiry, they cited public statements from US Energy Secretary Robert Wright and Interior Secretary Alejandro Burgum that no export restrictions on oil and gas are planned.
Green energy politician Michael Kellner, who served as parliamentary secretary under former minister Robert Habeck, considers this view overly optimistic. “The government is dangerously naïve about extortion by Donald Trump” Kellner said.