Republicans push Trump to ban diesel exports as fuel prices hit record highs

Republican lawmakers are escalating pressure on President Donald Trump to impose a ban on US diesel exports as record fuel prices squeeze farmers and truckers weeks before pivotal midterm elections. The push comes as the average US diesel price hit a fresh record of $6.51 a gallon, driven by the administration’s conflict with Iran and the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war, which together have created a global shortage of the fuel. Diesel is the lifeblood of American agriculture and industry, and the price spike has become a political liability for Republicans in rural districts where the pain is most acute.

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley directly called on the president to suspend exports, posting on X that “high diesel prices ARE KILLING FARMERS INCOME.” Representative Ashley Hinson, also of Iowa, urged the administration to use “every option at our disposal,” including pausing diesel exports and creating a relief program for farmers and truckers. Fellow Iowa Republicans Zach Nunn and Mariannette Miller-Meeks joined the chorus, with Nunn arguing the US should “sell American energy to Americans first” and Miller-Meeks demanding the White House “stop the bleeding” through an export ban, fuel duty relief, and direct financial support for affected businesses.

The political pressure reflects a broader economic reality. Diesel prices in the US have climbed more than 70 percent since the Iran conflict erupted in February, surpassing the previous highs set in 2022. The approaching harvest season has intensified demand from farmers, while the cost of transporting goods has rippled across the entire economy, forcing manufacturers to raise prices. That inflation has become a central political problem for Republicans, with voters increasingly souring on the president’s handling of the economy and the cost of living.

The White House, however, has signaled reluctance. An administration official said the government is “not considering an export ban or export restrictions at this time.” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum offered a similar line last week, stating the administration “would consider an export ban if we thought that actually might lower prices, but that’s not the case.”

An export ban would keep more diesel within US borders but would send shockwaves through Europe, a major importer of American petroleum. Protests over fuel costs have already erupted in France and Portugal, and European farmers are equally exposed to the price surge. The US oil industry strongly opposes any restriction, arguing it would be counterproductive and would exacerbate the very shortage lawmakers are trying to address.

The policy debate echoes an earlier moment. The US has not imposed controls on refined product exports since the 1970s oil crises, though most crude oil exports were banned until 2015. In 2022, following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, then-president Joe Biden asked the Energy Department to explore restrictions on refined product exports, but no action was taken. That history underscores the difficulty of unilateral export intervention, even in times of acute price pressure.

The president has also sought to shift blame for the diesel crunch. In a Sunday phone call, Trump pressed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to halt Kyiv’s strikes on Russian refineries, which he blamed for high diesel costs, even though the Iran war triggered the main rise in US fuel prices.

The dilemma for the administration is clear. An export ban would offer immediate relief to American farmers and truckers but risks alienating European allies, disrupting global fuel markets, and drawing fierce opposition from the domestic oil industry. The political calculus ahead of the midterms may ultimately hinge on whether rural voters accept the administration’s argument that export restrictions would not actually lower prices. For now, the president shows no appetite for intervention, but with prices still climbing and the election weeks away, the pressure from his own party is unlikely to subside.