Wright throws cold water on diesel export ban

Wright throws cold water on diesel export ban

Energy Secretary Chris Wright threw cold water at the idea of a full ban on diesel exports Wednesday.

“The blunt tool of banning diesel exports definitely doesn’t work,” Wright was quoted as saying by the news outlet Reuters .

“If you can’t export the diesel that comes out of our refineries, you run out of places to store it, and you have to reduce US refining, which would put upward pressure on gasoline prices and jet fuel prices,” he said.

The Wall Street Journal reported that at its event, Wright said that the administration would not halt all diesel exports and would instead take a voluntary approach to bringing prices down.

Shortly after those remarks, Politico reported that the White House was gearing up for a 90-day ban on diesel exports. The White House denied the report and referred The Hill to Wright’s remarks in the Journal.

The comments come one day after President Trump expressed support for a diesel exports ban.

“I’ve said, ‘Let’s not send out the diesel.’ We make a lot of diesel,” Trump said. “I’ve called for it within my people. I’ve been talking about it.”

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The White House on Wednesday denied a report that it is planning a 90-day ban on diesel exports as Americans struggle with high fuel prices.

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