Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he is open to exploring a diesel export ban as national prices reached $6.285 per gallon on September 15, 2026, up from $5.967 a week earlier. The proposal marks a rhetorical shift for a Republican Party long associated with energy deregulation and free trade, but implementing restrictions would likely require Congress after lawmakers repealed broad presidential authority over refined-product exports in 2015. U.S. distillate exports averaged a record 1.7 million barrels per day in early July 2026, while the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict disrupted global supply chains and Russia’s diesel export ban redirected demand toward U.S. suppliers. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum questioned whether an export ban would reduce pump prices and warned of retaliation from trading partners. The issue carries broader implications for trucking, agriculture, construction and manufacturing as the November midterm elections approach.