WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Tuesday that his administration will soon decide whether to restrict U.S. diesel exports, a move supporters say could ease record domestic fuel prices but critics warn could disrupt the broader energy market. Speaking at the United Nations in New York alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump said the decision would come “fast, one way or the other.” He endorsed calls from Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, to limit shipments overseas and said the United States produces substantial amounts of diesel. Diesel prices have surged as wars in Iran and Russia disrupt global fuel supplies. Higher costs are affecting truckers, farmers and other businesses that rely on diesel, with the increases also filtering into grocery and transportation prices. Several Republicans facing difficult reelection campaigns have recently backed export restrictions as the 2026 midterm elections approach. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the administration is studying whether a full or partial ban would be workable given the country’s refining capacity. Trump acknowledged that limiting diesel exports could affect gasoline production because refiners produce multiple fuels through an interconnected process. The proposal would mark a significant reversal in U.S. energy policy. It could become the first restriction on American energy exports since 2015, when President Barack Obama ended a decades-old ban on most crude oil exports. Oil producers and refiners strongly oppose the idea. Mike Sommers, president and CEO of the American Petroleum Institute, said export limits would worsen a disruption that has already strained global refining capacity and could ultimately hurt American consumers. Geoff Moody, a senior vice president at the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, said the proposal would “backfire,” arguing that previous administrations of both parties had rejected fuel export bans. Energy economists have also cautioned that any reduction in U.S. prices could be temporary. A ban could prompt producers to reduce drilling if access to foreign markets disappears, while pushing diesel prices higher internationally at a time when supplies are already tight. Gbenga Ajilore, chief economist at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, said the main cause of the price spike was the conflict in Iran and related disruption around the Strait of Hormuz. In his view, ending the war and reopening the shipping route would do more to lower prices than an export restriction. Trump also said he planned to discuss attacks on Russian refineries with Zelenskyy. Ukraine’s strikes have damaged major Russian refining facilities, while Russia has responded with its own diesel export ban. Iran-related damage to fuel manufacturers has added to the global supply squeeze. A diesel restriction could therefore have consequences well beyond the fuel pumps. While it might offer short-term relief to some domestic buyers, changes in refinery operations and international supply could affect gasoline prices, farm expenses, freight costs and the price of everyday goods.