The diesel crisis widens… What awaits Lebanon's fuel oil?

Lebanon is entering the heating season under the pressure of a global diesel crisis in which supply disruptions overlap with export decisions and withdrawals from emergency reserves. Reuters revealed on October 1 that the US administration asked France and Germany to release quantities of emergency diesel reserves, and asked the European Union to release 120 million barrels over 6 months, hinting at a possible ban on US diesel exports without confirming it would take effect. According to the Financial Times, European consultations on October 1 did not reach a decision to release the quantities, while Chinese refineries suspended oil product exports for October except to Hong Kong and Macau. An International Energy Agency report for September 2026 showed that net diesel and gasoil exports from the Gulf and Russia fell in August by 1.6 million barrels per day compared with February, and US diesel prices exceeded $200 per barrel. Domestically, the September 29 price schedule recorded the price of a 20-liter diesel can at 2,756,000 Lebanese pounds, and the Ministry of Energy announced the September tariff at 52,840 pounds per kilowatt-hour in cities and 58,124 pounds in villages and areas above 700 meters, meaning a bill of 5,669,000 pounds for a 5-ampere subscriber consuming 100 kilowatt-hours per month.