President Donald Trump confirmed Wednesday that he is still actively considering a ban on diesel exports as his administration searches for ways to bring down record-high energy prices.
Trump made the remarks during an Oval Office event, telling reporters he speaks with Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum about the proposal frequently.
“I’m thinking about it,” Trump said of the export ban. “I speak to Chris and Doug about it a lot — they sort of think it’ll help diesel, but it might raise the price of other things.”
Trump acknowledged the trade-off at the heart of the debate, saying a ban could lower diesel costs while pushing up gasoline prices at the same time.
“It just seems that it would have a negative impact on gasoline, so that would go up a little bit, and diesel would come down a little bit,” Trump said.
Just three days before Wednesday’s remarks, Trump had said he was “very seriously” considering the move, but his latest comments suggest he is cooling slightly to the idea without ruling it out entirely.
The proposal has triggered an intense lobbying battle between Republican allies from agricultural states worried about the political consequences of high diesel prices and oil industry executives eager to protect profitable export operations.
Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley has been among those pushing for the export restriction, with farming communities across the heartland particularly hard-hit by the diesel price surge.
The White House is also weighing whether to ask European governments to release diesel from their own strategic reserves, and administration officials have already briefed foreign allies about the possibility of supply disruptions.
Diesel prices have reached record levels amid ongoing conflicts in Iran and Ukraine, both of which have caused significant disruptions to global energy flows and tightened supply across major markets.
The U.S. oil industry has warned that a broad export ban could force domestic refineries to cut production, ultimately driving energy prices higher rather than lower, complicating the administration’s calculus.
Reports indicate the White House is preparing a potential 90-day diesel export ban, a window that would carry the restriction roughly through the end of the year if implemented in the coming weeks.
Trump’s comments reflect a president caught between competing political and economic pressures, with no final decision announced and the option remaining firmly on the table for now.
