What Happened?
In 2024, trucks and trains moved about 13 million of the 17.7 million total tons of domestic freight, almost all of it using diesel-fueled engines, and the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported that average highway diesel prices were $6.529 per gallon on Sept. 21. The Trump administration and some members of Congress are reportedly considering banning diesel exports, with the stated goals of boosting domestic supply and lowering consumer prices through cheaper shipping costs. [](#ngr-dc32ee7a-078f-49ad-a893-b7185eda2f35)
A report by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) titled "Diesel Export Ban: Transportation Policy Considerations for Congress" maps the tradeoffs Congress would need to weigh without endorsing or rejecting a ban. The Congressional Research Service report describes two bills: H.R. 10423, which would immediately ban diesel exports until the end of the calendar year, and H.R. 10422, which would automatically impose a ban if diesel averages more than $5.00 per gallon over a two-week period.
Why Does it Matter to Me?
The Congressional Research Service report says shippers of perishable goods, which cannot be easily stored, may be especially sensitive to elevated fuel costs.
The Congressional Research Service (CRS) report also flags a Highway Trust Fund (HTF) complication: if high fuel prices reduce consumption, federal fuel-tax receipts flowing into the HTF could decline.
Both Sides, Now
The Trump administration and some members of Congress are reportedly considering diesel export restrictions, with the stated goals of increasing domestic supply and lowering consumer prices through cheaper shipping costs. The CRS report does not attribute this position to a named lawmaker but notes it as the stated rationale behind both proposals.
The Congressional Research Service report says industry analysts reportedly forecast that refineries could respond to a diesel export ban by cutting diesel production until any surplus is depleted, and because diesel is produced alongside gasoline and aviation fuel in the same refining process, a drop in diesel output could reduce supplies of those fuels as well. The report also notes that Mexico imports roughly 60 percent of its diesel from the U.S., and higher fuel costs abroad could eventually raise prices for goods Americans import.
Congress holds the authority to pass or block either bill. The Trump administration has not publicly responded to the CRS analysis, and no response was available at publication.
What Happens Next?
Neither bill has cleared a committee vote, and no floor vote is currently scheduled in either chamber. The Congressional Research Service report says surface transportation programs are currently scheduled to expire Dec. 11.
On the maritime side, the Department of Homeland Security issued a Jones Act waiver on March 17 and has extended it twice through mid-November 2026; more than 20 voyages under that waiver carried diesel fuel, according to U.S. Maritime Administration reports as of September. The CRS report notes a diesel export ban could amplify calls to waive the Jones Act.
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