Trump Backs Diesel Export Ban as High Fuel Prices Threaten Republicans Ahead of Midterms
United States President Donald Trump stated on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, that he backs a ban on diesel exports to curb record-high fuel prices that are squeezing American farmers, truckers, and families ahead of the November midterms. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed that the administration is examining whether a full or partial export ban is feasible given current US refining capacity.
Feasibility Review Follows Soaring Fuel Prices
Diesel prices in the United States reached a record average of $6.53 per gallon on Tuesday, according to reported market figures, representing a more than 75% increase over the span of a year.
“I’ve said let’s not send out the diesel. We make a lot of diesel… I’ve called for it. I’ve called for it within my people,” Trump told reporters ahead of a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent outlined the administration’s next steps during the same briefing, stating, “We’re examining whether it’s feasible in terms of the overall refining capacity and whether a full or partial ban would work.”
Political Pressure From Competitive Congressional Races
The push for an export ban is heavily driven by Republican lawmakers and candidates facing tight midterm election contests. Several candidates have publicly urged the White House to restrict outbound fuel shipments to protect domestic consumers and rebuild reserves before winter.
“American fuel should stay home with Americans,” US Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska said in a statement. “The cost of diesel is just too damn high. I’m calling for a temporary pause of American diesel exports so that we can rebuild our reserves ahead of winter and put American and Alaskan families first.”
In Iowa, US Representative Ashley Hinson, who is locked in a competitive Senate race, posted on X that “Iowans are being squeezed and shouldn’t have to foot the bill at the pump or the checkout line for the war in Iran.” Additional pressure came from US Representative Mike Rogers in Michigan and the US Agriculture Department, which urged White House action last week. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins noted that high prices are a “real concern” for the agricultural sector.
Energy Officials and Industry Warn of Unintended Consequences
The proposal to restrict diesel exports has encountered significant resistance from key members of the administration’s energy team and industry trade groups, who warn that the policy could backfire and drive prices higher in specific regions.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright cautioned during a Daily Caller event that a ban would create a diesel glut along the US Gulf Coast, forcing domestic refiners to cut production rates and simultaneously reducing supplies of gasoline. “If you start putting barriers on flows, pretty quickly you will reduce the production, and you’ll have less supply. We need more supply, not less supply,” Wright said.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum warned that a ban would be unlikely to lower petroleum prices and could trigger retaliatory trade measures from other energy-exporting countries upon which regions like California depend. Similarly, the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers trade group released a statement asserting that an export ban would backfire by forcing refiners to scale back overall output.