Diesel prices in the United States have gone up rather than down since President Donald Trump announced a deal with Russia on fuel supplies, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.
Data from the American Automobile Association show the national average price of a gallon of diesel reached $6.35 on Wednesday, 28 October, equal to about $1.68 per litre. When Trump announced the arrangement, the average stood at $6.28 per gallon, a rise of 7 cents.
On 9 October, Trump wrote that Russia was expected to deliver more than 300,000 tonnes of diesel to American and global markets during October. He said a further 500,000 tonnes would follow in November, and another 1 million tonnes would come immediately after that.
The Journal reported that analysts remain sceptical the agreement will bring down the high diesel prices seen in the US and around the world. Experts also warn that Russia may struggle to export the promised volumes, pointing to the poor condition of its oil refineries and to export restrictions.
Even if Moscow does meet its targets, the volumes would address only a small part of the global shortfall. The pledged amounts work out to just over 100,000 barrels per day in October and about 125,000 barrels per day in November. By comparison, Russia was able to ship around 800,000 barrels per day in 2025.
The first deliveries are already under way. On 22 October, a tanker carrying 40,000 tonnes of Russian diesel left for New York, and it is expected to reach the United States on 7 November. Two more tankers have since been added to the arrangement.
One of the three vessels is under sanctions imposed by the European Union, the United Kingdom and Canada.
