President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he supports banning U.S. diesel exports, backing a proposal that has gained support from Republicans as diesel prices reach record levels.

Trump made the comments during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in New York, where he was asked whether he supported a diesel-export ban.

“I’ve said let’s not send out the diesel. We make a lot of diesel, and it could have a little bit of an effect on regular automobile gasoline because when you do that, you know, it’s a sort of a flow, it’s a balance,” Trump said. “But no, I’ve called for it. I’ve called for it within my people.”

The announcement comes after several Republicans, including Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley and Iowa Rep. Ashley Hinson, called for suspending diesel exports as fuel costs climb. Hinson said Monday that the measure should be part of a broader effort to reduce costs for Iowa families, farmers and truckers.

Trump’s position represents a change from the administration’s previous approach to the proposal. Axios reported that the administration had resisted restricting fuel exports, while economists and energy analysts have warned that an export ban could increase domestic supplies in the short term but could also push global diesel prices higher.

The national average price for diesel reached a record $6.53 per gallon Tuesday, according to AAA data cited by Reuters and other reports. The price is more than 75% higher than a year ago as disruptions tied to the wars in Iran and Ukraine have tightened global fuel supplies.

However, American Petroleum Institute CEO Mike Sommers said restricting exports could worsen refining problems and ultimately hurt consumers.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Tuesday that the administration is examining whether a full or partial ban would be feasible based on overall refining capacity.