European Commission Calls a US Diesel Export Ban Inappropriate

European Commission spokesperson Olof Gill said on Thursday, September 24, 2026, that the EU is following reports of a US plan to ban diesel exports "with concern" and has told US officials at the highest levels that it considers such a ban inappropriate. He said no decision has yet been taken in Washington. Another Commission spokesperson, Anna-Kaisa Itkonen, said the United States supplied about 50 percent of the EU's diesel imports in August, but that there is currently no specific diesel shortage in the bloc. The EU Oil Coordination Group is due to meet next week.

Politico reported on Wednesday, September 23, that the Trump administration was preparing a 90-day ban to lower fuel prices ahead of the November 3 midterm elections; the White House denied the report. Khabar Online reported that US diesel futures fell about 5 percent after the news, and US Energy Information Administration data showed distillate stocks fell by 428,000 barrels last week to 107.4 million barrels.