US Threatens Diesel Export Ban to Force Europe to Release Reserves

Washington has warned France and Germany to unlock emergency diesel reserves or risk a U.S. diesel export ban, according to three people familiar with the discussions who spoke to Reuters.

The demand puts Europe under greater pressure as President Donald Trump weighs export restrictions to reduce domestic fuel prices before November’s midterm elections.

A source in a European capital said Washington had requested 120 million barrels of diesel from the EU over the next six months.

That volume concerns the bloc as a whole, while U.S. pressure has focused particularly on Paris and Berlin.

Pressure on Paris and Berlin

U.S. officials believe France and Germany have fallen short of previous pledges to release emergency crude and petroleum-product reserves, Reuters has previously reported.

“It is in Europe’s best interest to work with the United States as we pursue multiple pathways to boost the supply of refined products and lower costs for consumers,” a U.S. official told Reuters.

An EU official said the European Commission and representatives from Germany, France, Italy, Ireland and the U.K. were scheduled to discuss possible diesel reserve releases on Thursday.

Germany’s economy ministry had not immediately answered a request for comment. France’s energy ministry declined to comment.

Supply Disruptions Drive Talks

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Wednesday that he anticipated European announcements on additional diesel supplies soon.

“We've lost some diesel exports from the ⁠Middle East, although we're restoring those, and we've lost diesel exports from China,” Wright told reporters. “So that's a lot of interruptions.”

Europe’s reliance on U.S. fuel has grown following its prohibition on Russian imports over the invasion of Ukraine. The U.S.-Israeli war against Iran has also disrupted Middle Eastern supplies.

Macron Plans G7 Coordination

An Elysee official said Emmanuel Macron and Trump had not raised the diesel issue during their meeting at the UN General Assembly in New York the previous week.

Macron would convene G7 leaders by video to discuss higher fuel prices and refined-product availability, the official said.

The agenda would include coordinating reserve releases with the International Energy Agency.