Two of Australia’s largest sources of jet fuel could be cut off as South Korea and China eye restrictions

South Korea’s transport ministry says domestic airlines have asked authorities to redirect export-bound jet fuel back to the local market amid a supply crunch Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast South Korean airlines have asked their government to help redirect jet fuel exports to the domestic market, threatening half of Australia’s imports of the critical fuel after Chinese authorities earlier this month flagged export restrictions. Amid deepening concerns across Asia about the impact of the escalating Middle East conflict, an official at South Korea’s transport ministry told the Guardian that “some domestic carriers” had asked authorities to redirect export-bound jet fuel back to the local market due to supply concerns. Any move to restrict exports would hit import-dependent countries particularly hard. For instance, Australia sources roughly a quarter of its refined fuel imports from South Korea, including 18% of our total jet fuel imports. China, which supplies a third of Australia’s jet fuel, has according to reports already moved to restrict fuel exports, although Chris Bowen, the energy minister, late last week said Chinese jet fuel suppli