With fuel costs climbing sharply and squeezing margins for American farmers and truck drivers, while also posing a threat of further inflation ahead of the November midterm elections, Donald Trump has voiced his support for a ban on diesel exports. "I said it before, don't export the diesel fuel," the US President stated on Tuesday after a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in New York. "I've already brought this up to my team, and I've been pushing for it."
His endorsement arrives as Republican lawmakers representing rural constituencies, led by Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, are urging action to curb the significant price surge in this fuel that underpins American agriculture and industry. Treasury Secretary Bessent confirmed on Tuesday that the administration is evaluating whether a ban is workable given overall refining capacity, and whether a full or partial restriction could be implemented. This marks a sharp reversal in Washington's stance, as just a day earlier, US officials had insisted no such ban was under consideration. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum had stated last week that the government "would consider an export ban if it determined it could actually lower prices, but that is not the current assessment."
Data from the American Automobile Association shows diesel prices in the US hit a fresh all-time high on Tuesday at $6.53 per gallon, driven by global supply disruptions from wars in the Middle East and Ukraine. Prices have surged more than 70% since the Iranian war erupted in late February, compared to below $3.70 per gallon a year earlier. Tennessee Congressman Tim Burchett, who has introduced draft legislation for an export ban, expressed satisfaction, saying, "I'm glad President Trump supports this. His endorsement will rally lawmakers to back the bill." In an interview, Burchett noted, "Many people talk tough, but when the phone rings and it's Donald J. Trump on the line, they listen carefully."
Neither Trump nor Bessent clarified whether a ban would be implemented through legislation or executive order. According to the Congressional Research Service, the president holds implied authority under the Emergency Powers Act to issue and enforce export bans. A White House spokesperson declined to offer details on the deliberations or potential timing, instead directing media to the president's own remarks. The pressure high oil prices are placing on the White House is also evident in Trump's Sunday call asking Zelensky to halt drone strikes on Russian refineries.
Should a diesel export ban take effect, developing nations would face severe consequences, and it would trigger significant turmoil in Europe, which relies heavily on US refined product imports. Data from energy research firm Kpler shows US diesel shipments to Europe have averaged nearly 50% higher since the Iranian war began in late February, with exports briefly exceeding 506,000 barrels per day in August, a record. Kpler analyst Matt Smith commented, "A US export ban is bad news for Latin America, the top destination for US diesel, and it would also impact Europe and Africa, whose reliance on US supplies has been growing amid the Middle East conflict."
The US has not imposed export controls on refined products since the oil crisis of the 1970s, though a crude oil export ban remained in place until 2015. In 2022, after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine drove up prices, then-President Biden asked the Energy Department to study refined product export restrictions, but no action was taken. The oil industry strongly opposes any export limits, arguing such policies would raise domestic prices in regions reliant on imported fuel. Following Trump's remarks, American Petroleum Institute CEO Mike Sommers stated that restricting US energy exports would only worsen existing problems, amplify refining pressures, and harm consumers. "The solution is to boost supply and increase market flexibility, not to introduce new restrictions that make an already difficult situation worse," he said.
With just six weeks until the November midterm elections, many Republicans, especially those from agricultural districts, are under immense pressure from voters to deliver concrete measures to curb fuel prices. Burchett remarked, "Fuel prices will be a core issue in the midterms. Whether we're to blame or not, the blame will fall on us. We're in power now, and it's hard to escape that." Iowa Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks urged the White House on Monday to suspend diesel exports to "stop the bleeding." Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he is open to considering an export ban. However, not all Republicans support the policy. Nebraska Congressman Don Bacon stated, "Government intervention usually leads to worse outcomes. High prices themselves will incentivize more diesel into the market, and prices will self-correct. We should also pressure Russia to halt its invasion," he added.
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