A White House official denied reports that the administration of US President Donald Trump was preparing to impose a ban on diesel exports for a period of 90 days, describing what Politico newspaper published in this regard as “fake news.”
Politico newspaper reported, citing five people familiar with the discussions, that the US administration is considering stopping diesel exports for three months, with the aim of increasing supply in the local market and reducing the rise in fuel prices.
This denial comes despite President Trump’s confirmation on Tuesday that his administration will quickly take a decision on imposing restrictions on diesel exports, in conjunction with statements by Treasury Secretary Scott Besent, who indicated that the options presented include imposing a complete or partial ban on exports.
In the same context, Energy Secretary Chris Wright warned that imposing a direct ban “will not succeed,” explaining that forcing American refineries to maintain their production may cause inventories to rise and refining operations to decrease, which in turn would lead to an increase in the prices of gasoline and jet fuel.
So far, no official announcement has been made regarding imposing a 90-day ban, in light of continuing discussions within the US administration about available ways to confront the rise in diesel prices, which averaged $6.52 per gallon on Wednesday, recording an increase of 76% compared to last year.
