US Threatens Diesel Export Ban Unless France And Germany Release Emergency Stocks

The Trump administration is pressing France and Germany to open their emergency diesel reserves, warning it could otherwise bar U.S. exports of the fuel.

The warning increases U.S. pressure on Europe while President Donald Trump weighs banning diesel exports to bring fuel prices down before the November midterm elections, three people familiar with the talks told Reuters.

Diesel averaged $6.39 a gallon nationwide Thursday, up from $3.71 a year earlier, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA).

The U.S. has asked the European Union (EU) to draw down 120 million barrels from its diesel stockpiles within six months, a source in a European capital told the news agency.

Germany and France together hold about 35 percent of the bloc’s emergency reserves of diesel and similar fuels, Reuters reported, citing Eurostat data from May 2025. The volume the U.S. requested would equal more than 40 percent of what all EU member states keep in reserve.

The Department of Energy, the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s requests for comment.

The API, which represents the oil and natural gas industry, wrote in a Sept. 28 post on X that restricting exports “could disrupt refinery operations” and reduce fuel production.

Trump said in the Oval Office on Wednesday that a ban would “have a negative impact on gasoline” prices but could lower diesel costs.

The president’s administration has also considered asking refiners to cap exports voluntarily and letting more tax-exempt diesel be sold, according to Reuters.