U.S. Weighs Diesel Export Restrictions as Prices Rise

The Trump administration is weighing restrictions on U.S. diesel exports as fuel prices rise, but the policy’s form and status remain unsettled. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the administration was considering voluntary measures rather than an outright ban, while a separate report that President Donald Trump was inclined to impose a 90-day halt was disputed by a White House official. Wright said the United States needed to keep global markets supplied while addressing domestic prices. He pointed to the complexity of refining, where diesel is produced alongside gasoline and jet fuel, and said the administration was trying to avoid a blunt government policy. The sources do not establish that any restriction has been adopted. The European Union objected to the prospect of a ban. European Commission spokesman Olof Gill said the bloc viewed the possibility with concern, calling it a bad idea that could harm both sides. Gill said the EU was raising the issue with U.S. counterparts. The EU relies more heavily on fuel imports than the United States, and U.S. supplies accounted for about half of the bloc’s diesel imports in August, according to the reported figures.