Trump threatens US diesel export ban, asks Europe to release reserves

US President Donald Trump has said he may ask European countries to release diesel from their strategic reserves as he considers banning US diesel exports.

The comment follows record‑high diesel prices on UK forecourts, where diesel is hovering just under 200 p per litre, and comes amid ongoing pressure on global fuel supplies from the war in Iran and the conflict in Ukraine.

Europe is holding a meeting on Friday to discuss the issue, with the UK Energy Minister Martin McCluskey speaking to European counterparts about the potential ban. A source familiar with the talks said a coordinated response is being prepared, noting that Europe still has reserves from earlier strategic releases.

The United States supplies between 1.2 and 1.5 million barrels of diesel per day, mainly to Latin America, but also to Europe – 31 % of UK diesel imports come from the US, with the Netherlands and Belgium providing over a third of the remainder.

US Treasury official Scott Bessent urged Europe to ready its diesel stocks, arguing that US farmers, truckers and businesses should not bear the burden of rising prices. Experts warn that a US export ban could lower domestic US prices but would increase pressure on diesel markets elsewhere.

EU rules require member states to hold fuel stocks covering 61 days of consumption, while the International Energy Agency recommends 90 days. The EU currently holds nearly 109 million tonnes of emergency crude and fuel stocks, about a third of which is diesel.

Source: BBC News. Photo: Jakub Pabis / Pexels.