Britain held urgent talks with other European countries today to discuss releasing emergency diesel stocks after Donald Trump threatened a US export ban.

UK officials spoke with their counterparts in Germany, France, Italy and Ireland as well as at the European Commission to consider using stockpiles of the fuel.

It comes after the Trump administration told France and Germany to use emergency inventories to help to ease global fuel prices or face a potential US export ban.

The warning marks an escalation of pressure on Europe as the President considers the ban to bring down US fuel prices ahead of next month’s midterm elections.

France and Germany have frustrated US officials who believe they have not fully followed through on earlier commitments to release emergency oil and fuel stocks.

A US official, who was one of three sources to confirm Mr Trump’s move, said: ‘It is in Europe’s best interest to work with the United States as we pursue multiple pathways to boost the supply of refined products and lower costs for consumers.’

A second source, based in a European capital, said that the US has asked the European Union to release 120million barrels of diesel in the next six months.

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright told reporters yesterday that the US administration expected announcements soon from Europe about new diesel supplies.

Prices of petrol and diesel at the Braywick Esso garage in Maidenhead, Berkshire, yesterday

He said: ‘We’ve lost some diesel exports from the ⁠Middle East, although we’re restoring those, and we’ve lost diesel exports from China. So that’s a lot of interruptions.’

An official at the Elysee Palace said that French President Emmanuel Macron and Trump had not discussed the issue when they met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York last week.

However, the official said that Mr Macron would convene a video conference of leaders of G7 countries to address rising fuel prices and the global availability of refined products, including the coordination of the release of reserves in conjunction with the International Energy Agency.

Europe has become increasingly dependent on US fuel after banning Russian imports over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and after the US-Israeli war against Iran disrupted supplies from the Middle East.

In the UK, diesel prices hit a new high on Monday, passing the previous record set in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The average price of a litre of diesel stood at 199.72p today, according to figures compiled by the RAC.

This is over 57p more expensive than at the start of the US-Iran war on February 28 this year, when a litre averaged 142.38p.

The previous record high was 199.09p, reached in June 2022.

The cost of diesel has risen steadily in recent weeks due to the impact on global supplies from the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and from renewed hostilities in the Middle East.

Russian exports of diesel have dropped sharply after many of the country’s oil refineries were targeted by Ukraine, with a key facility near Moscow damaged earlier this month as part of a huge drone operation.

President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House yesterday

This has led to extra demand for fuel from other diesel-exporting countries, causing wholesale prices to rise.

Meanwhile, the ongoing war between the US and Iran is continuing to disrupt the global trade in refined oil and other petroleum materials, with Iran’s effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz limiting the production and supply of fuel needed by consumers.

The RAC data is based on the average price of diesel at a range of supermarkets, motorway service stations and independent retailers.

The cost of unleaded petrol has also been climbing in recent weeks and currently stands at an average of 174.54p per litre, up by over 41p since the start of the US-Iran war.

A total of 15.1million diesel-fuelled vehicles were licensed to be on UK roads at the end of June this year, down from 15.7million 12 months earlier, according to the latest figures from the Department for Transport.

There were 9.8million diesel cars, down year on year from 10.4million.

Some 20.4million petrol vehicles were licensed to be on roads this June, including 18.8million cars.

Motoring organisations have urged the Government to extend the current 5p cut in fuel duty beyond the end of this year, when it is currently scheduled to be reversed.

A decision on what happens to fuel duty is likely to be announced by Chancellor John Healey in his Budget speech on October 28.

Also this week, EDF Energy chief executive Simone Rossi warned Britain is ‘walking into a second significant energy crisis’. He believes the price of petrol, diesel and gas will increase because of ‘geopolitical forces that we do not control’.

The Daily Mail has contacted the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero for comment.

Germany’s economy ministry did not respond immediately to a request for comment. France’s energy ministry declined to comment. 

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