U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright urged European countries to tap their emergency oil reserves on Sept. 29, saying the U.S. and Japan were delivering on pledges while Europe lagged.
"While the United States and Japan are delivering on their commitments, several European member countries have released only a fraction of the crude oil and petroleum products they pledged," Wright said. "We urge every member country to fulful its commitments."
Wright leads the Department of Energy under the Trump administration. His call reflects Washington's push to stabilize global oil markets and address domestic fuel prices ahead of the November midterm elections.
The Trump administration is considering a 90-day ban on diesel exports. U.S. diesel prices have climbed to $7 a gallon, and Brent crude oil has traded between $97 and $102 per barrel since late September—up $25 to $30 per barrel compared to pre-war levels.
Prices have surged due to Middle East disruptions, shipping delays through the Strait of Hormuz, escalating tensions in the Gulf of Aden and attacks on Russian refineries.
U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum told reporters on Sept. 29 that the Trump administration was "discussing a lot of options" and noted that European countries "have a lot of diesel reserves."
European Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen said on Sept. 29 that the EU has spent more than €100 billion extra on energy this year without gaining additional gas or oil supplies.
EU countries collectively held 108.6 million barrels of emergency oil in May 2025, with France and Germany controlling over one-third of the EU's strategic diesel reserves.
The International Energy Agency coordinated a 400 million-barrel emergency release in March following U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran on Feb. 28. The EU contributed roughly 20 percent to that effort.
IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol, speaking in Dublin on Sept. 29, said another coordinated emergency release was not currently a priority. Approximately two-thirds of previously pledged emergency oil reserves have reached the market, while one-third remains pending, Birol said.
