▲ A gas station sign in the United States
The U.S. administration under Donald Trump has pressured France and Germany to release stockpiled diesel, warning that it could ban exports of U.S. diesel if they fail to comply, Reuters reported on October 1 local time.
President Trump is weighing a ban on diesel exports to lower domestic fuel prices ahead of the U.S. midterm elections in November, while also applying pressure on Europe.
A European source reported that the U.S. has asked the European Union (EU) to release 120 million barrels of diesel over the next six months.
Some 30 member states of the International Energy Agency (IEA) agreed in March to release 400 million barrels from strategic petroleum reserves to stabilize oil prices.
Under the agreement, the United States is responsible for 172 million barrels, with European countries accounting for 20 percent of the total.
The U.S. government has reportedly expressed particular dissatisfaction that France and Germany have not properly fulfilled their commitments to release reserve stocks.
An official at the Élysée Palace in France stated that President Emmanuel Macron and President Trump did not discuss the issue during their meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly last week.
However, the official added that President Macron plans to convene a virtual meeting of Group of Seven (G7) leaders to discuss energy prices and supply-demand issues, including coordinating the joint release of strategic reserves with the IEA.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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