Australia ‘catching up’ on securing fuel through Singapore - Luxon
Wednesday, 8 April 2026
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says Australia is “catching up” to New Zealand when it comes to securing fuel supply through Singapore.
His Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese is heading to Singapore on Friday with the aim of locking in fuel imports from the oil superpower in a meeting with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
Luxon is set to visit Wong in early May to sign the Agreement on Trade in Essential Supplies (AOTES) in which both countries promised not to impose export restrictions on an agreed list of essential goods like fuel, medical and construction-related products.
Asked if he planned on going to Singapore earlier than planned in light of the developing fuel crisis, Luxon said his existing plan “will work very well”.
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“Prime Minister Wong and I have spoken and our relationship is in good shape. Just remember that we innovated with the essential supplies agreement. Essentially Australia is catching up and so they've only just reached an agreement to do something similar, which for Singapore and LNG is quite important.
“Obviously, fuel for us and food for Singapore is important too. So you know, it's actually good that Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, as a triumvirate, is actually acting together and coordinated in our part of the world.”
The AOTES deal sits in the wider context of a fresh New Zealand-Singapore Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) that Luxon and Wong signed in Auckland in October to mark 60 years of diplomatic ties.
While the AOTES is not yet inked, it’s understood both sides would still honour the promises made in it.
The Sydney Morning Herald has reported Albanese was due to visit Wong later this year but brought his trip forward, underscoring the urgency of diplomatic talks in the unfolding fuel crisis as domestic prices at the pump ratchet up.
Australia and Singapore agreed to accelerate negotiations on an essential supplies agreement in late March to ease supply chain disruptions for both countries; Australia reliant on Singapore’s refineries and Singapore reliant on Australia’s liquefied natural gas (LNG).
New Zealand’s long-standing and close relationship with Singapore has emerged as its best hope of keeping its fuel flowing after its other major supplier, South Korea, moved quickly to introduce export restrictions.
Both countries supply 31% and 51% of New Zealand’s refined fuel imports respectively.
Luxon said he last spoke to Albanese about the fuel crisis about a week ago but information between both countries’ ministers and officials was being regularly shared.
“You've seen alignment around a four-phase framework, you've seen alignment around language of timely, targeted, temporary. All of that has worked exceptionally well, where our lead official is doing an excellent job connecting with her counterpart in Australia and we're getting constant flow of information both ways.
“I'm very comfortable that, as an Australasian unit, when a lot of our supply chain is very similar, that we're actually very joined up, which is important.”
Finance Minister Nicola Willis added New Zealand’s lead official on the fuel response was having “almost daily” phone calls with her Australian counterpart.
“Our two systems are exchanging information and perspectives regularly.”
Labour leader Chris Hipkins said the coalition’s approach to the fuel crisis was “far too complacent”.
“Dealing with the fuel crisis should be our Government’s number one priority right now. They should be pulling out all the stops, working every angle possible, to secure as much certainty around fuel supplies as possible.
“They also need to be moving much faster to explain what will happen if or when a fuel shortage actually happens in New Zealand. Their current approach is far too complacent.”