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Australia promises no gas tax on existing LNG contracts

  • Spanish Market: Natural gas, Oil products
  • 29/04/26

No export taxes will be placed on LNG contracted by trade partners, Australia's prime minister has promised, after weeks of intensive lobbying by unions, anti-gas campaigners, economists and industry.

The weeks following the US-Iran war showed it was critical to not jeopardise trade links with Asia or the investment needed from overseas partners, prime minister Anthony Albanese said in Perth on 29 April.

Anti-fossil fuel groups had been calling for a 25pc tax on exports to raise money for Australia's weakening federal budget. But Western Australia's premier and other key Labor politicians close to the resources sector opposed such measures, citing the need for investment continuity.

An east coast gas reservation would instead be instituted but only affect future export contracts, Albanese added.

The ongoing shock from the Middle East war is leading to a renewed spotlight on Australia's lack of sovereign refining capacity. Australian ministers have been regularly dispatched to trading partners in east Asia in recent weeks to shore up supplies of gasoil, gasoline and jet fuel as well as fertilizer.

Australia holds only 49 days' supply, slightly more than half of the IEA's mandated net import coverage of 90-days at the end of February and down by one day from January.

Australia held 44 days of gasoline, 33 days of gasoil and 30 days of jet fuel consumption under its minimum stockholding obligation as of 21 April.

The foreign minister is travelling to Japan, China and South Korea this week, which receive large volumes of Australian LNG and also export significant fuel volumes to Australia.


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