A diesel export ban was “never really on the table”, Donald Trump has claimed after the UK and other leading G7 nations bowed to White House pressure and agreed to release 100 million barrels of fuel and oil from emergency stocks.
The US president said Europe had done “a great thing” by drawing on their reserves under the threat of a block on stateside supplies.
A ban would have left Britain competing with other countries to find an alternative source and increased demand driving up the already record high costs at the pumps.
Average UK diesel prices have topped £2 a litre for the first time.
The UK imports nearly 55% of the diesel it uses, with the US accounting for around 31% of that.
Back home, Mr Trump has been under mounting domestic pressure to bring down fuel prices in the run-up to November’s midterm elections that will decide control of Congress.
Speaking as he left the White House to head for Alabama on the campaign trail, the president said he would not impose a diesel export ban and suggested it had never been an option, despite repeatedly saying in recent weeks that the measure was being considered.
Mr Trump said: “Europe has a lot of diesel, and they’re going to be making a major world contribution, and so are we. And we’re not going to be doing the export ban.
“We’re going to be doing what we’re supposed to do… We are going to have a lot of oil.”
Mr Trump added: “We have a very good relationship with Europe, and they wanted to do it because they have a lot of diesel… I said ‘it would be great if you put it out to the market’. They did it.”
Pressed over the threatened ban, he added: “We were never going to do it. I don’t think we were.
“Europe was great because they’re putting a lot of diesel oil out there. They have diesel. They use diesel disproportionately more than most, and they did a great job.”
He went on: “Well, it (the ban) was never really on the table, but what Europe did was a great thing.”
As well as agreeing the release of reserves to stem the surging fuel prices driven by the Iran war, the G7 countries also committed “to refrain from energy export restrictions”.
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband stood in for Andy Burnham on Friday’s leaders’ call while the Prime Minister attended his father’s funeral.
He wrote on X: “Today members have agreed co-ordinated measures to stabilise energy supplies, build resilience in supply chains and shield households and businesses from price shocks.”
The G7 statement said the release of reserves would begin immediately and last four months, with a “substantial” amount of diesel being made available within 20 days.
Diesel prices have rocketed in recent months because of the disruption to global supplies caused by the US-Israeli war against Iran and the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Higher fuel prices helped to drive inflation to a five-month-high in August, ramping up the cost-of-living for householders.
Ahead of the upcoming Budget, motoring organisations have urged the Government to extend the current 5p cut in fuel duty beyond the end of this year.
