Governments across the globe are deploying an array of fiscal, regulatory and operational steps to limit the burden of surging energy costs on households and critical industries as the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran and the near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz place additional pressure on supply and prices.
This report catalogs the measures announced by national authorities, as presented by those governments, drawing only on the specific policy actions and statements made public. The list highlights how responses range from tax tweaks and direct subsidies to strategic stock releases and demand-management advice.
Argentina - The government has opted to partially increase fuel taxes while deferring planned additional hikes until June, as set out in an official decree. The move adjusts the timing of tax rises rather than canceling them, with the stated effect of delaying further increases.
Australia - Canberra has authorised the release of petrol/gasoline and diesel from domestic reserves to address shortages that are affecting rural supply chains, the mining sector and agriculture. In addition, the prime minister has publicly encouraged citizens to increase use of public transport to reduce private fuel consumption.
Austria - In March, the coalition government introduced a so-called "petrol price brake" intended as an anti-inflation measure to mitigate the impact of higher oil prices driven by the Iran war. The government indicated on May 30 that it will reduce the size of that brake going forward.
Bangladesh - Authorities are seeking billions of dollars in external financing to secure imports of fuel and liquefied natural gas. On June 1, the government raised retail fuel prices for the second time within six weeks, increasing petrol and kerosene by 5 taka per litre - about $0.04 - a change that the government acknowledged could add to inflationary pressures in the economy, which relies heavily on imports.
Brazil - The federal government announced a package of measures that includes subsidies for diesel and liquefied petroleum gas and cuts to taxes on jet fuel and biodiesel. Officials are also pursuing faster testing and potential deployment of higher biodiesel blends in diesel. Finance Minister Dario Durigan told reporters on June 9 that Brasília will act to temper the conflict's impact on fuel prices for as long as the disruption continues, and that measures already in place would be renewed "carefully."
China - Beijing's top leadership pledged to bolster the country's energy security while advancing rapid technological development and pursuing greater self-sufficiency. In mid-March, China tightened export controls on most fertiliser products to protect domestic farmers; on May 27 the government issued export quotas for urea fertiliser. That action was described as potentially easing sharply higher global prices for one of the world's most commonly used crop nutrients after supply interruptions connected to the Iran war.
Egypt - Egypt and the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation signed a $1.5 billion loan agreement on May 13 to support the country's food and energy security. Cairo has also announced plans to slow large state projects that are fuel- and diesel-intensive for at least two months and to cut fuel allocations for all government vehicles by 30%. In addition, the government has capped the retail price of unsubsidised bread sold in private bakeries.
Ethiopia - The government has implemented increases in fuel subsidies.
European Union - The EU will allow member states to increase fiscal support to subsidise companies affected by rising fuel and fertiliser prices. The Commission is also considering new requirements for countries to hold stockpiles of jet fuel and the potential redistribution of those stocks according to regional needs and shortages. Separately, the European Commission has proposed plans to reduce electricity taxes and to coordinate the summer refill cycle of member states' gas storage facilities.
Greece - In March, the prime minister announced a package of subsidies for fuel and fertilisers and discounts on ferry tickets amounting to a combined €300 million in April and May intended to protect consumers and farmers. After reporting a larger primary budget surplus for 2025, Athens announced an additional €500 million in aid targeted at households and farmers struggling with fallout from the Iran war.
India - The government has barred customers of piped natural gas from buying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders and has reduced LPG supplies to some industrial users. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged households and businesses to conserve fuel and to reinstate work-from-home practices where possible to reduce petrol and diesel consumption. New measures include an increase in the windfall tax on exports of diesel and aviation turbine fuel to protect domestic supply.
Indonesia - Jakarta announced a broad package of measures aimed at countering rising energy costs, including limits on some fuel sales and a formal work-from-home policy for civil servants. President Prabowo Subianto has expressed a desire to lift coal production, and authorities are weighing a windfall tax on coal exports. The government will begin implementing the B50 biodiesel programme on July 1 - a 50% palm oil-based biodiesel blend with conventional diesel - as part of efforts to mitigate risks from the Iran war. State energy firm Pertamina has already raised certain fuel prices by nearly a third in the first adjustment since the Iran war began; the finance minister said this would have a limited impact on inflation even as investors raised concerns about public spending.
Italy - Rome extended a reduction in excise duties on fuels, with the extension placing more emphasis on relief for diesel than for petrol. Senior representatives of the country's fuel producers and airport operators reported that Italian refineries have increased jet fuel production this year, a development that officials say reduces the risk of airline sector shortages resulting from the Iran war.
Japan - For the fiscal year beginning in April, Tokyo said it would relax rules to allow increased use of coal-fired power plants. The government has also made portions of its oil stockpiles available, introduced gasoline subsidies and is seeking energy supplies from sources beyond the Middle East. In response to tighter naphtha supplies linked to the conflict, Japan plans to increase imports of intermediate chemical products, including plastics. The industry ministry announced that the benchmark used to calculate gasoline price subsidies would revert to Dubai crude prices from Brent crude on June 4; officials noted Dubai crude had stabilised and the spread with Brent had narrowed.
Kenya - President William Ruto said the government would cut diesel prices to give consumers relief following protests over sharply higher energy costs.
Malaysia - Kuala Lumpur reported it had secured sufficient energy supplies to last until the end of July amid the disruption. The treasury has directed that federal ministries, departments and agencies trim their operating budgets for 2026 citing costs related to the Iran war. The government also plans to raise petrol subsidy spending to 2 billion ringgit from 700 million ringgit in order to maintain a fixed retail price for the fuel. Authorities said they are implementing measures to stabilise fertiliser supplies during a domestic shortage.
Mauritius - Port Louis announced energy-saving measures that include limits on grid power for a range of non-essential uses, such as decorative lighting, swimming pool heating and ornamental fountains.
Namibia - Windhoek said it will cut fuel levies temporarily by 50% for a minimum period of three months up to the end of June.
The Netherlands - The Dutch government rolled out temporary tax relief to offset higher fuel costs and indicated it would prepare additional interventions should the energy crisis deteriorate.
Nigeria - The Dangote refinery, Africa's largest, has expanded exports of gasoline and of urea fertiliser to other African countries that have been affected by supply disruptions stemming from the conflict.
Pakistan - Islamabad plans to expand domestic storage capacity for crude oil and refined products in an effort to bolster energy security.
The Philippines - In March, the country's energy market regulator suspended the wholesale electricity spot market across its three grids citing fuel supply risks and price volatility. Manila intends to curb power bills by increasing coal-fired generation and regulating electricity tariffs. The Philippines is also seeking waivers from the United States to enable it to source oil from countries subject to U.S. sanctions, with the goal of safeguarding supplies. The energy ministry said it is activating a 20 billion peso emergency fund - roughly $333 million - to strengthen fuel security amid volatile oil prices.
Poland - Warsaw said it would extend measures to control fuel prices in response to the war in the Middle East until at least the end of May. The government also plans to propose a windfall tax on oil and gas companies' profits from higher energy prices resulting from the Iran conflict, with the intent of offsetting the cost of national fuel tax reductions.
Romania - Bucharest announced a reduction in excise duty on diesel of 0.30 lei per litre - the equivalent of about $0.0679.
Serbia - The government will lower excise duties on crude oil cumulatively by 60% and has prolonged a ban on exports of crude oil and fuel products.
Singapore - The city-state outlined a support package of nearly S$1 billion - around $780 million - that includes cash handouts and fuel vouchers to help households and businesses cope with the economic effects of the conflict.
Slovenia - Authorities temporarily limited individual fuel purchases to address shortages at pumps caused in part by cross-border fuelling and stockpiling.
South Korea - Seoul is easing caps on coal-fired power generation capacity and increasing nuclear plant utilisation to as much as 80%. The government has also begun enforcing a ban on naphtha exports to ensure greater domestic availability.
Spain - Madrid proposed measures worth €5 billion to blunt the economic impact of the Middle East conflict on domestic energy prices.
Sri Lanka - The central bank raised its policy rate by an aggressive 100 basis points and indicated further tightening could follow as soaring energy costs drive inflation and weaken the currency. Colombo is holding talks to procure crude oil and refined products from Russia and China as it seeks to relieve shortages. The country is relying on $1.73 billion in financing from international agencies and India to manage the fiscal impact of sharply higher energy import bills. Additional steps include the introduction of fuel rationing and the declaration of Wednesdays as a public holiday.
Sweden - The right-wing government has agreed to halve the price of monthly public transport passes in the second half of 2026 and has earmarked 500 million crowns - about $54 million - to support the aviation sector. Sweden said it would temporarily lower fuel taxes and implement other measures to protect households and firms. Officials cautioned there could be a shortage of jet fuel and advised travellers to build flexibility into their plans where possible.
Thailand - Bangkok's Commerce Ministry tightened exports of crude palm oil and implemented controls on bottled palm oil prices. The government is preparing a borrowing guarantee for an oil subsidy fund alongside other support mechanisms to address high oil prices. The national planning agency said the government would freeze prices on certain goods and offer targeted assistance to farmers.
United Kingdom - London is seeking to reduce the link between retail electricity prices and volatile wholesale gas costs by moving older wind and solar generators onto fixed-price contracts in an effort to lower household energy bills.
United States - Hawaii - Hawaii's governor, Josh Green, said he is considering pausing the state's gasoline tax as pump prices climb three months into the Iran war.
Vietnam - Authorities have increased imports of refined oil products to compensate for reduced crude supplies to domestic refineries. A government document showed Hanoi will accelerate its switch to ethanol-blended gasoline ahead of prior timetables to help reduce reliance on conventional fossil fuels.
Each government's approach reflects its own mix of fiscal capacity, domestic production capability and policy priorities. The measures range from direct price supports and tax adjustments to operational decisions - including changes to fuel stock management, export controls and sectoral production settings - that aim to stabilise supplies and temper price volatility for households, transport networks, farmers and industry.
This catalogue is limited to the specific actions and statements detailed by the authorities themselves; where governments have warned of potential effects or noted that measures could ease pressures, those qualifying statements are reported as presented by the governments.