What a Diesel Export Ban Would Mean for U.S. Consumers

A diesel fuel nozzle at a Chevron gas station in San Jose, Calif.

Sept.

10, 2026. —David Paul Morris—Bloomberg/Getty Images As fuel prices at the pump reach record highs since the outbreak of the war in Iran, Washington is warming to the idea of a temporary diesel export ban as a way to lower costs.

“I’ve said let's not send out the diesel—we make a lot of diesel,” President Donald Trump said as he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in New York on Tuesday.

“That could have a little bit of an effect on regular automobile gasoline because when you do that, you know, it’s a sort of a flow.” Trump echoed what a cacophony of Republican lawmakers, many representing farm states, have called for in the past few weeks.

Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa posted on social media Saturday : “High diesel prices ARE KILLING FARMERS INCOME.” Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska, meanwhile, said Tuesday that the cost of diesel “is just too damn high” and an export moratorium should be in place until the conflict in Iran ends.

Diesel recorded its highest average price on Tuesday amid the energy dearth caused by the war, averaging about $6.53 per gallon, according to the American Automobile Association .

It is at least 90¢ higher than last month’s average, and a huge leap from the $3.75 mean just before the war .

Ballooning prices threaten to impact the global economy as diesel powers most heavy-duty farming and industrial machinery as well as transport like trucks and trains.

Higher diesel costs also add to the cost of moving goods and could worsen inflation, which the Federal Reserve has tried to tamp down .

Trump referred to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who said that the Administration is examining whether a diesel export ban is “feasible in terms of the overall refining capacity and whether a full or partial ban would work.” It’s unclear if, or when, the Administration will decide on a moratorium on diesel exports.

Trump’s own Energy Secretary Chris Wright showed more skepticism: speaking to CBS News earlier this month, Wright said the U.S. is considering “all options of how you can move prices that are favorable for American consumers,” but he also argued that to address a shortage, “you want to keep as much energy flowing as possible.” Rising costs present a problem for an increasingly unpopular Trump heading into the November midterms, where the Republican Party he leads has to defend its slim majority in Congress.

Disgruntled voters, according to some polls , believe the U.S. economy has suffered under Trump’s policies, with many from the GOP also souring on them .

Analysts say ban would give swift, but fleeting, relief The U.S. is one of the world's largest diesel producers and exporters.