Trump Says U.S. Will Import Russian Diesel as Fuel Prices Stay Elevated

President Donald Trump said Friday that the United States will import diesel fuel from Russia, a sharp reversal in U.S. policy that comes as diesel prices remain elevated and continue to affect consumers, farmers and truckers. The announcement adds a new diplomatic and economic wrinkle to Trump’s broader effort to blunt fuel costs heading into the midterm election season.

Trump said on social media that he had a “highly successful” discussion with Russian President Vladimir Putin and that Russia would immediately supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel fuel to the American and global marketplace, with additional deliveries expected in November and afterward. AP reported that Trump described the move as an attempt to address high fuel prices.

The policy shift follows months of heightened attention to diesel costs, which matter well beyond the pumps because the fuel powers freight, agriculture and much of the country’s logistics network. AP said the national average diesel price remained above $6 per gallon and had recently set a record, while Reuters reported that prices were up sharply amid supply disruptions tied to the Russia-Ukraine war and other global market pressures.

Treasury authorizes Russian diesel transactions

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control issued Russia-related General License 135 on Friday, authorizing transactions related to the sale, delivery, offloading and importation of diesel fuel of Russian Federation origin. That authorization appears designed to allow the trade to move forward under U.S. sanctions rules.

The announcement also lands after the White House moved earlier this week to ease diesel costs in other ways. On Oct. 5, Trump signed an executive order titled “Emergency Tax Relief on Diesel Fuel,” which temporarily deferred certain diesel fuel tax obligations and penalty relief through the end of the year. The White House said the action was intended to help farmers, truckers and workers facing restricted global supply and higher prices.

The Russian diesel decision is likely to draw close scrutiny because of its foreign-policy implications as well as its economic ones. U.S. sanctions policy has long been aimed at limiting Russia’s energy revenue, and the new general license suggests the administration is now making a narrow exception in pursuit of lower fuel prices. More details on the volumes, timing and commercial mechanics of the arrangement have not yet been disclosed.