Trump Invokes Defense Production Act for California Offshore Oil
14th March 2026
The Trump administration on Friday invoked the Defense Production Act to boost oil production off Southern California’s coast as it looks to contain oil prices sent soaring by the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
Global prices have surged above $100 a barrel, the highest since 2022, driven by significant supply disruption fears following the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran and threats to the Strait of Hormuz.
The Defense Production Act, a Korean War–era law enacted in 1950, gives the president broad authority to direct private industry to prioritize and produce materials deemed essential for national defense and emergency preparedness.