States are taking emergency steps to ease record-high diesel prices caused by conflicts abroad as the White House continues to weigh its own measures.
asserted
House → take → measures
Texas and Georgia announced emergency measures Monday aimed at reducing diesel prices, which affect the transportation and agricultural sectors.
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which → announce → sectors
Diesel prices have reached record highs in recent weeks due to conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine.
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prices → reach → East
In Texas, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott declared a 30-day statewide disaster, expanding the use of dyed diesel, raising the allowable weight for fuel, and suspending some federal diesel emission rules.
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Abbott → declare → rules
Dyed diesel is typically reserved for off-road uses, such as farming, and is generally exempt from federal fuel taxes.
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diesel → reserve → taxes
“Texas agriculture and freight run on diesel,” Abbott said in a press release.
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Abbott → run → release
“Record prices put both industries at risk and raise costs for every Texas family.
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prices → put → family
Farmers and truckers can now use dyed diesel on Texas roads, and fuel, crop, and timber loads can move at a higher weight.
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loads → use → weight
These steps cut costs on the farm, on the road, and at the store,” he added.
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he → cut → store
Javier Blas, an energy and commodities columnist at Bloomberg, said on X that Texas’s measure allowing truckers to use dyed diesel could save them 24.4 cents per gallon in federal excise taxes, plus another 20 cents per gallon in Texas state taxes.
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truckers → say → taxes
He noted that the measure doesn’t lower diesel costs to farmers as they already have access to untaxed dyed diesel.
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they → note → diesel
Abbott has also requested that the Environmental Protection Agency waive federal ultra-low sulfur diesel requirements.
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Agency → request → requirements
Georgia has also declared a state of emergency, where Republican Gov. Brian Kemp suspended the fuel tax for 30 days.
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Kemp → declare → days
Kemp also suspended the state’s weight limits on commercial vehicles.
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Kemp → suspend → vehicles
The tax suspension is set to take effect on Tuesday.
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suspension → set → Tuesday
Louisiana was one of the first states to take action on addressing high diesel prices.
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Louisiana → take → prices
Last week, Gov. Jeff Landry (R-LA) declared a state of emergency to allow farmers and timber harvesters to use dyed diesel they have on hand to help curb prices.
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they → declare → prices
The states’ actions come as the White House is considering its options to ease diesel prices ahead of the November midterm elections.
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House → come → elections
President Donald Trump last week called for a ban on diesel exports to ease prices.
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Trump → call → prices
However, the administration has been split over imposing an export ban.
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administration → split → ban
Energy Secretary Chris Wright has argued that a ban could push fuel prices higher.
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ban → argue → prices
In recent days, it has been reported that the administration is considering alternatives, including allowing for the broader sales of red-dyed diesel.
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administration → report → diesel
The administration has also asked major refineries to commit voluntarily to limiting diesel exports and may encourage states to eliminate excise taxes on diesel.
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administration → ask → diesel
Reuters reported on Tuesday that the White House has asked the European Union to release emergency diesel from its inventories to lower global prices.
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House → report → prices
The wars in the Middle East and Ukraine have elevated diesel prices.
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wars → elevate → prices
For instance, in Iran, shipments of fuel flowing through the key trading waterway, the Strait of Hormuz, have been at a standstill.
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shipments → flow → standstill
Russia has also played a role in sending fuel prices up as it has stopped exporting diesel through October.
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it → play → October
Ukrainian drone strikes have also damaged Russian refineries.
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strikes → damage → refineries
The Aporia
