Trump Administration Presses Europe to Release Diesel Reserves

The Trump administration is pressing European allies to release diesel from national emergency stockpiles, a campaign that intensified Thursday as U.S. pump prices for the fuel kept climbing, according to NBC News. The White House argues additional European supply would ease a global crunch; Brussels has not confirmed any new shipments.

Why Is Washington Asking Europe for Diesel Now?

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent framed the request as burden-sharing among allies. "Our European partners should accelerate delivery on their existing commitments and make additional supplies immediately available to address ongoing disruptions" to energy markets, Bessent wrote on X Thursday, according to NBC News. "American farmers, truckers, and businesses should not be left carrying the burden of a global diesel shortage," he added.

Shortly after that post, President Trump told reporters "we may" formally request that Europe tap its reserves, NBC News reported. The timing matters politically: the request comes less than five weeks before U.S. midterm elections, and Republicans are looking for any lever to bring down fuel costs before voters go to the polls.

How High Have U.S. Diesel Prices Climbed?

The average U.S. diesel price hit $6.38 per gallon Thursday, according to AAA data cited by NBC News. NBC News reported the average price has soared 70% since the war with Iran began — a steep run-up that has raised costs for truckers, farmers and businesses that depend on diesel-powered equipment and shipping.

Diesel by the Numbers

• $6.38 per gallon — average U.S. diesel price Thursday, per AAA data cited by NBC News
• 70% — increase in average U.S. diesel prices since the war with Iran began, according to NBC News
• Fewer than 5 weeks — time remaining until U.S. midterm elections as of the diesel pressure campaign

What Have Europe and the G20 Said So Far?

Energy Secretary Chris Wright sounded confident earlier in the week that Europe would move. "You will hear announcements from our friends in Europe about new diesel supplies that'll come to the market that'll meaningfully push diesel prices down," Wright told reporters Wednesday at an Oval Office event with Trump, according to NBC News. As of Thursday evening, NBC News reported, those announcements had not materialized, and the message from Europe on reserves was described as a no.

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said he raised the diesel issue at a G20 trade ministers meeting in Milwaukee this week, which also drew officials from China, India, the United Kingdom and other countries affected by the global diesel squeeze, per NBC News. Greer did not claim Washington had secured firm commitments. "We'd love to have a collaborative response" to the shortage, he told Bloomberg News, as quoted by NBC News.

Could Trump Still Ban Diesel Exports?

The administration's public pressure on Europe comes as Trump is separately weighing a U.S. export ban on diesel, according to NBC News. An export restriction would keep more domestic fuel inside the United States, but it could also strain relationships with trading partners and complicate the diplomatic ask now underway with European allies. NBC News did not report a decision timeline on the export-ban option.

What's the Timeline So Far?

• Wednesday: Energy Secretary Chris Wright tells reporters at the Oval Office that European diesel announcements are coming.
• Thursday: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent posts on X urging European allies to accelerate diesel deliveries.
• Thursday, shortly after: Trump tells reporters the U.S. "may" formally request release of European reserves.
• This week: USTR Jamieson Greer raises the diesel issue at a G20 trade ministers meeting in Milwaukee alongside counterparts from China, India, the U.K. and other nations.
• Thursday evening: No European commitment has been announced, and the E.U.'s position is reported as a no, per NBC News.

The diesel standoff leaves two unresolved questions hanging over energy markets and the campaign trail alike: whether European governments will ultimately release reserve fuel, and whether Trump moves ahead with an export ban that could reshape where U.S. diesel goes next. NBC News reported no final decision on either front as of Thursday.