With weeks remaining before the United States’ pivotal November midterm elections, surging record-high diesel prices have pushed Republican lawmakers to ramp up pressure on the Trump administration, drawing a public commitment from former President Donald Trump to support restricting American diesel exports in a bid to bring down costs for domestic motorists.
Speaking to reporters on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Trump argued that retaining more domestically produced diesel within U.S. borders could also ease broader inflationary pressures on regular retail gasoline, a cost that hits household budgets across the country. “I’ve called for that too. I’ve said let’s not send out the diesel. We make a lot of diesel. That could have a little bit of an effect on regular automobile gasoline,” he told reporters.
Following Trump’s comments, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed that senior administration officials are already conducting detailed assessments to determine whether a full or partial pause on exports would function effectively without damaging domestic refinery operations or triggering unintended supply disruptions at home.
New data from the American Autom Association confirms that national average diesel prices topped $6.50 per gallon this Tuesday, marking a new all-time high for the fuel that powers most freight, construction, and agricultural transportation across the country. The historic price surge has been driven largely by global supply chain shocks stemming from ongoing geopolitical conflict: as one of the world’s top diesel exporters, Russia has seen its domestic refining capacity hit hard by a recent wave of intensified Ukrainian drone strikes on energy infrastructure, a blow compounded by Moscow’s own existing export restrictions. That combination has severely tightened global diesel reserves and sent prices soaring worldwide.
When meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the UNGA this week, Trump acknowledged the dual impact of Ukraine’s targeted attacks: “It is a serious hit on the Russians. It’s also a serious hit on the price of diesel.” He added that the two leaders would discuss the strikes alongside broader negotiations aimed at bringing an end to the ongoing conflict, noting “I think it’s going to happen.” Kyiv has ramped up drone attacks on Russian refineries in recent months specifically to cut off the Kremlin’s primary source of revenue to fund its invasion.
The skyrocketing pump prices have created urgent political pressure on the Trump administration ahead of the 3 November midterms, where control of both chambers of Congress will be decided. Multiple Republican candidates and incumbents have thrown their support behind export restrictions as a quick fix to ease financial strain on working voters. On Monday, Iowa Republican Senate candidate Ashley Hinson argued that consumers in her state are already “being squeezed and shouldn’t have to foot the bill at the pump.” A day later, Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan echoed that call, urging a “temporary pause of American diesel exports” to help rebuild depleted domestic reserves.
While policy analysts note that restricting U.S. diesel exports could deliver short-term price relief for American drivers, the move carries notable global economic risks. The U.S. currently exports roughly 1.3 million barrels of diesel per day, accounting for nearly a quarter of its total refining output. Many of those shipments go to key Western allies including the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, which have turned to U.S. fuel to cover supply gaps created by sweeping sanctions on Russian energy. A sudden cut to U.S. exports could tighten supplies in those markets and push international prices even higher, potentially creating ripple effects that could eventually bleed back into U.S. markets as well.