Diesel prices have soared to record highs, topping $6 per gallon due to conflicts in Ukraine and Iran, sparking calls for a diesel export ban. Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune is “open to exploring” the idea, but Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and energy experts strongly oppose it. Experts argue a ban would disrupt supply chains, harm American producers, and fail to lower pump prices, potentially even increasing them. They explain diesel is a global commodity, and limited domestic transport infrastructure means excess Gulf Coast supply wouldn’t easily reach other US regions, leading to refinery cutbacks. Historically, past export bans, like the 1975 crude oil ban, proved ineffective. Critics contend an export ban is a simplistic, self-defeating solution to a complex problem, with the true remedy lying in ending the international conflicts.