Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Sept. 23 that a U.S. diesel-export ban could force refineries to cut output, putting upward pressure on gasoline and jet-fuel prices. Trump backed the idea Sept. 22; the administration is weighing a full or partial ban.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the administration was assessing whether a full or partial ban would work. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins raised high diesel prices with Trump; Interior Secretary Doug Burgum warned a ban could prompt retaliation by countries that ship fuel to the U.S., potentially hurting states such as California.
Refineries produce gasoline, diesel and jet fuel together. Wright said losing export outlets would eventually leave refiners without storage for excess diesel, forcing them to cut production. Distillate exports, including diesel, averaged 1.61 million barrels a day in the week ended Sept. 11, compared with production of about 5.3 million barrels a day. Analysts told Time a ban could initially lower diesel prices on the Gulf Coast and in the Midwest, but raise them on the West Coast if supplies could not be rerouted quickly. AAA's Sept. 23 averages were $6.5217 a gallon for diesel and $4.4744 for regular gasoline.
