DOMINANT ANGLE
The United States government is pressing Europe to tap into its diesel stocks to relieve American consumers, farmers, and truckers who are facing prices that have risen by 70% since the start of the war with Iran.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
According to the AAA as cited by NBC News, diesel has risen by 70 % since the start of the war with Iran and reached $6.38 per gallon on Thursday, October 1st.
- 02
Scott Bessent wrote on X that farmers, truckers, and American businesses should not bear the burden of a global diesel shortage alone.
- 03
On Wednesday, September 30, Trump said he was still "thinking" about banning diesel exports, while citing a possible "negative impact on gasoline" (CNBC).
ANALYSIS
Washington, October 2, 2026. The Trump administration intensified its campaign on Thursday, October 1, for Europeans to release diesel from their national emergency stocks. According to NBC News, the White House believes these volumes would increase global supply and could limit the price surge. The average diesel price in the United States has jumped 70% since the start of the war with Iran and reached $6.38 per gallon on Thursday, according to the AAA association.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent wrote on X that European partners must "accelerate the delivery of their existing commitments" and make additional volumes available "immediately". He added that American farmers, truckers, and businesses "should not bear the burden of a global diesel shortage alone". Shortly after, Donald Trump told journalists that Washington "could" ask Europe to release part of its emergency reserves.
Commerce Representative Jamieson Greer stated on Bloomberg from Milwaukee, where the G20 trade ministers' meeting was being held, that Europe should release part of its reserves. However, he did not suggest that Washington had obtained firm commitments, and said he would "love" a collaborative response to the diesel crisis.
The American press also highlights the White House's hesitation over the reverse weapon, the ban on American exports. On Wednesday, September 30, according to CNBC, Trump said he was still "thinking" about it, while noting a possible "negative impact on gasoline"; the oil industry warns that such a measure would force refineries to reduce production and ultimately increase energy prices in the United States. Bloomberg talks about a presidential appetite "cooled" by the risk of involuntary price increases.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright had assured on Wednesday, alongside Trump in the Oval Office, that European announcements of new diesel supplies would significantly lower prices. NBC notes that on Thursday evening, these announcements had not materialized. Wright acknowledges "strained" supplies, with American refiners operating at record levels.
Less than five weeks before the midterm elections, NBC recalls that Republicans are looking for all ways to lower fuel prices at the pump. The narrative retained across the Atlantic is that of a domestic bill to alleviate, rather than a dispute with Brussels.
