German fuel output rises as imports fall in first half

German refineries increased petrol and diesel production in the first half of 2026, reducing the country's reliance on fuel imports, official data showed on Thursday.

Domestic production of petrol, including aviation fuel, rose by 1.8% year-on-year to 11 million tons, while diesel output climbed by 9.4% to 15.8 million tons, according to the Federal Statistical Office.

At the same time, imports fell sharply. Germany imported 23% less petrol and 23.9% less diesel than in the first half of 2025.

However, higher global crude oil prices as a result of the Iran war limited the savings. The value of imported petrol fell by just 2.5% to €479 million ($541 million) despite the steep decline in volumes, while the value of diesel imports actually rose by 5.8% to €845 million.

The Netherlands was Germany's largest foreign supplier of petrol, accounting for 52.1% of the 525,000 tons imported. The Czech Republic supplied 26.1%, while just under 12% came from Austria.

Belgium and the Netherlands dominated diesel imports, accounting for 55.1% and 39.7%, respectively, of the 858,000 tons brought into Germany.

Overall, Germany exported more fuel than it imported in the first six months of 2026.

Petrol exports fell by 3.5% year-on-year to 1.66 million tons, while diesel exports jumped by 18.7% to 2.06 million tons.