// BBC BUSINESS NEWS — FINANZA
What a US diesel export ban could mean for you
US President Donald Trump has said he would back a ban on diesel producers selling overseas as surging fuel prices hit drivers ahead of the midterm elections.
Diesel prices are hovering near a record $6.45 per gallon on average, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA), due to the ongoing US-Israel war with Iran and tight global supplies.
Trump and his backers say a US diesel export ban would protect domestic consumers from those rising costs, but experts say it could trigger major economic waves both at home and across the world if it were to happen.
The US is one of the world's leading energy producers, with domestic refineries churning out roughly four to five million barrels of diesel every day, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).
Americans consume about 3.6 million barrels of that daily output. Refiners export the remaining1.2 to 1.5 million barrels per day, making the US a vital supplier to the global market.
Between 60% and 70% of this exported fuel goes to Latin America. Nations like Mexico, Brazil, Chile, and Ecuador depend heavily on American shipments to power their transport, farming, and factory sectors.
Significant volumes also head across the Atlantic to European countries like France, the Netherlands, and the UK, as buyers search for alternatives to Middle Eastern supplies.
US diesel prices have climbed to a record high of over $6.50 per gallon – up nearly 70% year-on-year.
The spike has been driven by broader energy market shocks tied to ongoing conflict with Iran, which has restricted critical shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway south of Iran through which one fifth of the world's oil and gas usually flows.
Diesel primarily fuels commercial vehicles in the US – such as freight trucks, farm machinery, and cargo trains – which are used for transporting goods and construction.