Stop Oil Exports to Lower Gas Prices Act

On May 7, 2026, Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) introduced H.R. 8670, the Stop Oil Exports to Lower Gas Prices Act, which was referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. The bill is in early stage with no further action. It would amend existing law to prohibit exports of crude oil, gasoline, and diesel fuel during the period of military operations against Iran (which began March 2026) and until the President certifies the Strait of Hormuz is fully open and shipping has resumed. The President may waive the crude oil export ban if the crude cannot be efficiently refined in the U.S., but must require that crude to be refined abroad and re-imported.

The bill authorizes no funding—it is a trade restriction, not a spending bill. The mechanism is a direct prohibition on exports, enforced by existing export control laws. There is no appropriation involved; the economic impact comes from restricting market access for U.S. producers and refiners.

Structural winners and losers: The clear losers are integrated oil majors with significant U.S. crude and refined product export exposure, primarily Chevron ($CVX) and other large exporters like ExxonMobil ($XOM) and ConocoPhillips ($COP). These companies would lose access to international markets, forcing domestic oversupply and lower realized prices. Utilities like Southern Company and Duke Energy could see modest benefits from lower domestic natural gas prices (as associated gas from oil drilling becomes more available), but the effect is indirect and small. Refiners that rely on imported crude (e.g., PBF Energy $PBF) are not directly affected by the export ban on U.S. products, but the ban on crude exports could lower domestic crude prices, benefiting them.

No real market data is provided for stock prices. The competitive landscape: Chevron's U.S. upstream segment (Permian Basin, Gulf of Mexico) is a major crude exporter; the ban would force it to sell into a saturated domestic market, reducing margins. The bill's waiver provision for crude that cannot be efficiently refined in the U.S. provides a narrow escape hatch, but most U.S. crude is refinable domestically, so the waiver is unlikely to apply broadly.

Timeline: The bill is at the earliest stage—referred to committee. It must pass the House Foreign Affairs Committee, then the full House, then the Senate, and be signed by the President. Given the Democratic sponsor and the current Republican-controlled House (119th Congress), passage is highly uncertain. The bill's fate depends on the duration of military operations against Iran and political dynamics. No further actions are scheduled.