Landry Wants a 90-Day Ban on Diesel Exports, Energy Policy Analyst Says That Would Backfire

Record-high diesel prices spark calls for a U.S. export ban — but a Heritage Foundation analyst says it would backfire, pushing crude suppliers toward Russia and China instead. The prices: Diesel hit a near-record $6.52/gallon nationally last week before easing slightly to $6.45. Agricultural equipment costs have jumped from $70-80/hour to run to $180-200/hour, rippling through farming, trucking, and shipping — sectors that rely on roughly 123 million gallons of diesel consumption per day. The export ban proposal: Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry has called for a 90-day moratorium on U.S. diesel exports, arguing Americans are subsidizing European shortages caused by the Ukraine and Iran conflicts. Heritage Foundation's take (Sarah Wagner): A ban could very slightly lower prices short-term but would backfire by the end of 90 days. The U.S. imports crude, refines it, and exports about a third of the output — if the U.S. stops refining other nations' crude, those countries will simply refine domestically or turn to Russia or China instead, cutting off the crude imports that supply U.S. refineries in the first place. What she'd recommend instead: Repealing the Jones Act (which requires U.S.-flagged, built, and crewed ships for port-to-port shipping and limits available vessels), permitting reform, reduced regulation on domestic energy development, and possibly lowering fuel taxes — including addressing dyed (untaxed, off-road) diesel rules for farmers, which Louisiana and Alabama have already petitioned the IRS to ease. On a "national emergency" fix: Wagner calls that approach a "Band-Aid" — essentially a backdoor export ban that doesn't address the underlying need for more domestic production. Should the U.S. ban diesel exports to lower prices at home, or let the market decide while cutting regulations on domestic production? Leave your thoughts in the comments. #DieselPrices #EnergyPolicy #JonesAct #CenterSquare #TheStates