The US is considering halting diesel exports amid sharply rising fuel prices, President Donald Trump said on Tuesday.
"We make a lot of diesel,” Trump told reporters on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, saying an export halt "could have a little bit of an effect” on domestic fuel prices.
He said he had been advocating such a move for some time.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the administration was examining whether such a step would be feasible, adding that either a full or partial halt to exports was possible.
The move could also have consequences for Europe. In recent years, the US has been Europe's most important supplier of diesel after the Middle East.
Before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia had been one of the main diesel suppliers to EU countries.Diesel price hits record high
Fuel prices in the US have risen sharply as a result of the war in Iran, putting Trump under increasing pressure ahead of November's congressional elections.
People in the US are paying almost 50% more for petrol on average than before the war began, while diesel prices have reached a record high.
Against this backdrop, several Republicans have called for a halt to diesel exports and have unusually openly blamed the war in Iran for the high prices.
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