As Trump mulls diesel export ban, what would it mean for Canada?

ECONOMY As Trump mulls diesel export ban, what would it mean for Canada? By Ariel Rabinovitch Global News Posted September 23, 2026 2:48 pm 5 min read The wars in Iran and Ukraine have pushed diesel prices to record-highs, and consumers could soon be feeling that financial squeeze in more ways than one. As Heather Yourex-West explains, the surging price of fuel may soon lead to bigger grocery bills in Canada and around the world – Sep 14, 2026 LEAVE A COMMENT SHARE THIS ITEM ON FACEBOOK SHARE THIS ITEM ON X SEND THIS PAGE TO SOMEONE VIA EMAIL SEE MORE SHARING OPTIONS DESCREASE ARTICLE FONT SIZE INCREASE ARTICLE FONT SIZE U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he backed the idea of a potential U.S. diesel export ban as a way to lower prices for Americans, which experts say may backfire and cost consumers more in the long term, including in Canada. The ban could potentially be over a 90-day period, according to a report from Politico on Wednesday citing five people familiar with the discussions. This comes after Trump made comments to reporters Tuesday while meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at a UN General Assembly, and said, “I’ve called for that too. I’ve said, ‘Let’s not send out the diesel.’ We make a lot of diesel. That could have a little bit of an effect on regular automobile gasoline.” Scott Bessent, the secretary of the treasury, was also in attendance, and said Washington is examining “whether it’s feasible in terms of the overall refining capacity and whether a full or partial ban would work.” STORY CONTINUES BELOW ADVERTISEMENT Those comments come as average U.S. diesel prices have jumped to a record US$6.5107 a gallon, according to American Automobile Association (AAA), while Canadian diesel prices are over CA$2 per litre on average as of publication. Banning export of the fuel would be expected to provide some short-term relief for American consumers while spiking prices worldwide. Over the long-term, prices could stay higher for longer, experts warn. “Diesel is the backbone of the economy for trains, for ships, for trucks, so many trucks around the world. We depend on it,” says Richard Masson, former CEO of the Alberta Petroleum Marketing Commission. “If there is an upset in the market, and the diesel price is already really, really high, it will just further exacerbate the problem, but people need to keep their economies running so they’re going to have to continue to pay the price.” Masson says he…