Skip to content

All the news that matters, in plain English.

Latest
  1. US officials see Chinese invasion of Taiwan before 2028 as unlikely, Reuters reports
  2. Trump administration excludes UK, France and Baltics from NATO future talks in Poland
  3. UK borrowing costs hit highest since 1998 as 30-year gilt yields top 6%
  4. Trump declines to endorse Netanyahu for another term in TIME interview
  5. ICC unveils major playing-condition changes across all formats from October 1
  6. Explosions heard in Ethiopia's capital as opposition claims drone strikes
  7. US Supreme Court agrees to hear Trump immigration detention dispute
  8. Pakistan military spokesman accuses India of 'another false-flag' operation

UK Broadband

Britain in talks on emergency diesel stockpiles as Trump threatens US export ban

British officials held talks with European allies about releasing emergency diesel reserves after Reuters reported that the Trump administration had warned Germany and France of a possible US diesel export ban.

By James Calloway · · 2 min read

A diesel fuel pump at a filling station
Rob Wingate / Unsplash

Britain is in talks with European allies about releasing emergency stockpiles of diesel after President Trump threatened to ban diesel exports from the US, The Times reported on Thursday.

British officials held calls with counterparts in Germany, France, Italy and Ireland on Thursday morning to discuss tapping fuel stockpiles. Reuters reported that the Trump administration, citing three people close to the discussions, had told Germany and France to release emergency diesel stocks or face a potential US diesel export ban. A Commission spokesperson declined direct comment; an EU official said the Commission, France, Italy, Ireland and Britain were holding a call on Thursday on the possible need to release diesel stocks, Reuters reported.

Washington is asking the EU to release 120 million barrels of diesel from reserves over six months, a source based in a European capital was quoted as saying by the New York Post, citing Reuters.

The threat exposes Britain’s thin margin. The UK holds only about 40 days of diesel in reserve, against more than 200 days in France, Italy, Spain and Germany, The Times reported. Roughly a quarter of the UK’s diesel imports in the past three months came from the US, and it imports significant refined diesel from Belgium and the Netherlands produced from American oil. The UK does not refine enough diesel to meet domestic demand.

The average pump price stood at a record 199.72p per litre on Wednesday, RAC figures show, 57.3p more than at the start of the Iran war. Fawley refinery in Hampshire, which produces almost a fifth of the fuel used on UK roads, is due to shut for ten weeks of planned maintenance.

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Wednesday the administration expected Europe to announce additional diesel supplies soon: “We’ve lost some diesel exports from the Middle East, although we’re restoring those, and we’ve lost diesel exports from China.” He has presented the pressure on Europe as an alternative to an outright export ban. A White House official told the Financial Times no decision had been taken. French officials said Macron would bring G7 leaders together by video to address fuel supplies.

Sources

More on this topic: all UK Broadband stories

Get Flip News by email

This opens your email app — we add you manually. No account, no spam, no third parties.