Portfolio — 22 April 2026

Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen announced on 22 April that the Government had secured an additional 200 million litres of diesel through Export Finance Australia, allocated across BP and Viva Energy via four separate cargoes sourced from South Korea, Brunei and Malaysia, with arrival expected by late May or early June [TA-260422-climat-e3b2499efe29].

Combined with 100 million litres procured in Malaysia the previous week, total additional diesel secured across seven days reached approximately 300 million litres — over 1.8 million barrels. The four new cargoes are directed to Brisbane, Geelong, Sydney and Perth, targeting regions with the highest diesel demand and prioritising agricultural and regional transport supply chains [TA-260422-climat-e3b2499efe29].

On the fertiliser side, the Government is working with Incitec Pivot and CSBP to secure additional supply, deploying price risk support mechanisms to shield importers from extreme market volatility. This effort sits alongside the Prime Minister's direct engagement with Indonesian President Prabowo, which secured a separate commitment of 250,000 additional tonnes of fertiliser [TA-260422-climat-6f65caae46d8].

The fertiliser work signals that the supply security response has expanded beyond liquid fuels to encompass the agricultural inputs that underpin the coming planting season.

The Government's approach integrates three concurrent lines of action: bilateral sourcing missions across Southeast Asia, multilateral coordination through National Cabinet with State and Territory energy ministers, and targeted use of existing infrastructure — with Port Botany identified as a primary gateway handling approximately one-third of NSW fuel imports [TA-260422-climat-e3b2499efe29].

This framing presents the response as deliberately layered rather than reliant on any single mechanism. Daily coordination with fuel suppliers Ampol, Park Fuels and IOR has continued since the fuel excise cut and heavy vehicle road user charge suspension announced on 31 March, indicating sustained operational engagement rather than a one-off diplomatic intervention.

Export Finance Australia's role as the financing vehicle for the new diesel cargoes also surfaces a cross-portfolio dimension, drawing on Commonwealth balance sheet capacity to underwrite supply deals that commercial importers may not have been able to execute independently under current market conditions.