NOPEC

No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels Act of 2023 or NOPEC

This bill prohibits a foreign state from engaging in collective action impacting the market, supply, price, or distribution of oil, natural gas, or any other petroleum product in the U.S. Specifically, a foreign state is prohibited from

• collective action that limits the production or distribution of such product,
• collective action to set or maintain the price of such product, or
• any other action that restrains trade of such product.

Specified defenses such as sovereign immunity (i.e., a foreign state's immunity from the jurisdiction of U.S. courts) and the act of state doctrine (i.e., the prohibition of a court invalidating an official act of a foreign sovereign performed within its own territory) shall not apply to a foreign state's violation of this bill.

Bill 118 hr 3081, also known as the No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels Act (NOPEC), is a piece of legislation introduced in the US Congress. The purpose of this bill is to hold foreign oil cartels accountable for anti-competitive behavior and price fixing in the global oil market.

If passed, NOPEC would allow the US government to sue foreign oil-producing countries, such as OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries), for violating US antitrust laws. This would give the US more leverage in regulating the oil market and potentially lower oil prices for American consumers.

Supporters of NOPEC argue that it would help promote fair competition in the oil industry and protect US consumers from price manipulation by foreign oil cartels. However, opponents of the bill are concerned that it could strain diplomatic relations with oil-producing countries and lead to retaliatory measures that could harm the US economy. Overall, the passage of NOPEC would represent a significant shift in US energy policy and could have far-reaching implications for the global oil market. It is currently being debated in Congress, and its fate remains uncertain.