US has 'plenty' of jet fuel for countries facing shortages: Trump

US President Donald Trump has called on countries facing jet fuel supply disruptions to buy from American refiners or "just take it" from the Middle East Gulf, according to a March 31 post on his TruthSocial account.

"All of those countries that can't get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz, like the United Kingdom, which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran, I have a suggestion for you: Number 1, buy from the US, we have plenty, and Number 2, build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT," Trump said.

His comments follow over a month of disrupted trade through the vital shipping chokepoint, where traffic ground to a virtual standstill after the US and Israel launched "Operation Epic Fury" on Feb. 28, triggering a wave of counterattacks from Iran.

With regular trade flows from the Middle East Gulf disrupted, global jet fuel prices have surged.

Platts, part of S&P Global Energy, assessed CIF Northwest European jet fuel cargo prices at $1,765/mt on March 30, more than double pre-war levels and well above a 2022 peak of $1,475/mt. Prices reached a record high of $1,774/mt on March 19, three weeks into the conflict.

The US was the largest supplier of refined products to the European market in 2025, but ranked only seventh among sources of jet fuel, according to S&P Global Commodities at Sea. Last year, US refineries shipped about 16,000 b/d to European countries, accounting for around 3% of all inflows, CAS data show.

In contrast, roughly 285,000 b/d of product came from the Middle East Gulf in 2025, led by Kuwait, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, according to CAS. Europe also typically sources large volumes of its jet fuel from India, which supplied 85,000 b/d in 2025; however, arrivals have slowed to just 17,000 b/d in March, CAS data show.

The US is a net exporter of jet fuel, and shipped almost 70,000 b/d more product than it imported in 2025, according to analysts at S&P Global Energy CERA. However, relatively small volumes are exported to Europe, with the Caribbean as the country's top buyer.

The UK has recently emerged as the biggest buyer of US jet fuel, accounting for almost 70% of all volumes delivered in 2025, CAS data show. The second-largest buyer was the Netherlands, followed by Spain and Iceland, according to CAS.

Trade disruptions

US jet fuel exports have shrunk significantly since the war in the Middle East began. In January, the country shipped 295,000 b/d of jet fuel, mostly from its refineries on the Gulf Coast. Volumes have since declined to 104,000 b/d in February and 108,000 b/d in March, CAS data shows.

"US refineries are maximizing jet fuel output with the strong cracks," said one Europe-based jet fuel trader, who was not authorized to comment publicly. "Freight is bonkers, but it's definitely flowing." A second, who also requested anonymity, said that the arbitrage economics from the US market were "very wide" and could resupply the European market.

Despite concerted efforts by the US and other countries to restore shipping access to the Middle East Gulf, few are willing to accept the security risks associated with entering the region.

On March 29, only two tankers -- both US-sanctioned and linked to Iran -- crossed the Strait of Hormuz. While several Indian-flagged VLGCs and containerships operated by China's Cosco have also recently transited the strait, most commercial vessels continue to avoid the passage. Prior to the conflict, about 135 tankers crossed the Strait daily, according to CAS.