Andy Burnham has been urged to avert a looming diesel “disaster” after Donald Trump backed the possibility of a US export ban that could further tighten already strained global fuel markets.
Speaking alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the UN General Assembly, Trump said he supported stopping diesel exports from the US as soaring fuel prices put pressure on American consumers.
“I’ve said let’s not send out the diesel. We make a lot of diesel,” Trump said.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the administration was examining whether a restriction was feasible, including whether a full or partial ban could work.
The prospect has immediate implications for Britain, which has become increasingly dependent on imported refined fuel following the closure of domestic refining capacity.
Reform Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick warned that the UK could be exposed to a major supply shock.
“The US supplies one sixth of diesel consumed in the UK, so this move could threaten our economic security,” he said.
Official UK government figures indicate the exposure is even greater when measured against imports: the US accounted for 35.5 per cent of UK diesel imports in 2024, making it Britain’s largest individual source. The Netherlands and Belgium supplied a further 37 per cent combined.
Jenrick said: “Meanwhile, Labour oversaw the shutdown of domestic refineries at Grangemouth and Lindsey last year, due to high operating costs.
“As a former MI6 director warned recently, Britain’s energy policy is a threat to national security.
“And tax on diesel is due to rise again in January, as Rachel Reeves’s postponed five per cent duty hike – which Reform would cancel – returns to bite motorists.
“Will Andy Burnham avert this disaster? TikTok videos don’t fill up the car, the tractor or the generator.”
The warning comes as Britain’s diesel market is already under severe pressure.
Fuel Industry UK chief executive Elizabeth de Jong said: “We are currently having to import about 55 per cent of our road diesel, meaning a growing dependence on overseas supply.
“Global events such as the conflict in the Middle East demonstrate the vital role that UK refineries play and why they are crucial to our economy.”
The figures underline the strategic importance of refining capacity at a time when geopolitical disruption has sharply reduced the availability of middle distillates.
The UK government has previously said that more than two-thirds of diesel and other product imports came from the US, Netherlands and Belgium, while its 2026 energy statistics show the closure of the Grangemouth and Lindsey refineries contributed to record-low UK refinery output in 2025.
Trump, however, argued that the underlying energy shock would ease if the conflict involving Iran ended.
Asked whether he had sympathy for countries facing higher prices as a result of the war, he said: “I think as soon as the war is over, the numbers are going to come way down, pricing generally, because oil is the big thing.”
“When oil goes up – and we had to do that because we have to stop them, and I think we feel very united on that, we can’t let Iran have a nuclear weapon.”
The immediate pressure is already being felt by British motorists.
The RAC has warned that the average UK diesel price is approaching the previous record of 199.09p a litre, with the latest average reported at 195.32p. Diesel had risen by 11.72p during September, including a 5p increase in the preceding week.
Simon Williams, the RAC’s head of policy, said a new record was “increasingly likely”.
“Diesel has risen nearly 12p (11.72p) this month, with 5p being added in the last week alone,” he said.
“The average price of petrol has now topped 172p (172.02p) having gone up more than 10p so far in September and 3.6p in the last week. The last time it was this high was August 17, 2022.”
The cost of filling a typical 55-litre diesel family car has risen to around £107, while petrol costs roughly £95, according to the RAC.
The squeeze extends well beyond motorists. Diesel is a critical input for road haulage, agriculture, construction and generators, meaning sustained increases in wholesale fuel costs can feed through into transport charges, food prices and broader inflation.
That makes the prospect of the US withdrawing a significant volume of diesel from international markets particularly sensitive for Britain.
An export ban could also have consequences beyond the immediate loss of American supplies. US refiners operate within an integrated global market, and industry groups have warned that restricting exports could disrupt refinery economics and potentially reduce production rather than simply redirecting fuel towards American consumers.
For Britain, the dilemma is increasingly stark: as domestic refining capacity shrinks and reliance on imports grows, decisions made thousands of miles away are having a direct impact on the price of filling a family car — and on the cost of moving goods through the economy.
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