US Threatens Diesel Export Ban on France and Germany Unless They Release Emergency Reserves
The Trump administration is demanding France and Germany release 120 million barrels of diesel from reserves over six months, in an attempt to bring down pump prices ahead of November's midterm elections.
The administration of US President Donald Trump, through Energy Secretary Chris Wright, is pressuring France and Germany to release 120 million barrels of diesel from emergency reserves over a six-month period. Failure to comply could result in a targeted US diesel export ban against the two countries.
The pressure comes as fuel prices pose a political challenge ahead of November's midterm elections — regular gasoline in the US averaged $4.46 a gallon in late September, with diesel at $6.51 a gallon. Europe's emergency diesel stocks are concentrated precisely in Germany and France.
Analysts warn the move risks backfiring on American drivers. Goldman Sachs estimates refining strain will persist through 2027, and a ban forcing refiners to cut crude processing by more than 2 million barrels a day would shrink US gasoline supply. According to Wood Mackenzie, the mechanism could ultimately raise, rather than lower, US pump prices — ironic, given that Secretary Wright himself previously said a diesel export ban "definitely doesn't work."
MKNews Hub · Macedonia · October 2, 2026
