Trump threatens to ban diesel exports to Europe and UK

Trump threatens diesel export ban as UK and Europe prepare reserve response

Donald Trump said Thursday he is considering banning US diesel exports and may ask European countries to release strategic reserves, as diesel prices in the UK reached record highs hovering just under 200 pence per litre.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent sharpened the pressure, posting that European partners should "accelerate delivery on their existing commitments and make additional supplies immediately available." UK Energy Minister Martin McCluskey held calls with European counterparts the same day to coordinate a potential response.

The US exports between 1.2 and 1.5 million barrels of diesel per day. A ban would redirect that supply inward, removing a volume that European refiners cannot quickly replace. A source familiar with the UK discussions described the coordination as prudent, noting that strategic reserves released earlier in the year left some European buffer, though its size was not specified.

The immediate political context is the November midterm elections, where Trump is campaigning to hold the House and Senate. Diesel costs for American farmers and truckers are a live issue, and Bessent's framing — that US producers "should not be left carrying the burden" — signals the export restriction is being shaped as domestic relief rather than foreign policy.