EU confident Trump will abandon diesel export ban plan
EU officials say they expect Washington to drop a proposed 90-day ban on diesel exports, warning such a move would seriously disrupt fuel markets on both sides of the Atlantic.
European Union officials say they are confident the United States will step back from a proposal to impose a 90-day ban on diesel exports, arguing that such a measure would harm energy markets on both sides of the Atlantic. Brussels has launched an active diplomatic push to prevent the ban, warning that it would trigger a serious disruption in fuel markets and hurt all parties involved.
The US currently supplies more than half of Europe's diesel imports, meaning a ban could pose what has been described as a "very serious" risk to the continent's fuel supply. Still, observers note that Europe—already accustomed to tight fuel markets in recent years—has met the threat with relative calm rather than alarm, even as concerns about supply security persist.
Separately, EU officials have voiced concern over another US-driven initiative: a push to significantly increase American gas supplies to Balkan countries that are candidates for EU membership. Officials warn that growing gas dependency in these countries could undermine the bloc's climate goals by entrenching fossil fuel use in the region's energy mix for years to come.
Energy security has also gained renewed attention in another context, with growing interest in expanding gas production on the Norwegian continental shelf. Increased Norwegian output is seen as one option that could help Europe reduce its reliance on US energy policy decisions and strengthen the continent's resilience against external shocks.
Taken together, these developments show that energy security and supply diversification remain central themes in EU-US relations, as market players and policymakers try to balance economic, climate and geopolitical interests.
