US diesel prices have falled below the $6 level for the first time in two months. It has eased some of the pressure on consumers, farmers and businesses following a sharp increase triggered by disruptions to global oil supplies.The national average retail price fell to $5.998 per gallon on Saturday, according to fuel price tracker GasBuddy, cited by Reuters. The decline comes after diesel touched an all-time high of $6.519 on September 22, with prices briefly crossing $10 per gallon in California.The surge had become a wider economic concern because diesel is central to the transportation and freight industry. Higher fuel costs pushed up expenses for businesses and farmers, while adding to inflationary pressures on households. Fuel prices also became a major political issue, contributing to voter dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump’s Republicans ahead of this month’s midterm elections, which saw Democrats sweep both houses of Congress.The earlier price rally was driven by supply disruptions linked to the US-Israeli war against Iran and Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries. Washington’s efforts to contain the increase, including temporarily lifting federal taxes on red-dyed diesel, easing sanctions on Russian fuel and announcing an $8 billion support programme for farmers, offered limited relief.The latest retreat comes amid a combination of softer crude prices and seasonal changes in fuel consumption. Brent crude futures have dropped 18.5 per cent over the past two weeks, while demand for diesel typically weakens during autumn as travel slows and hurricane-related risks to Gulf Coast refineries decline.Refinery output is also recovering as scheduled maintenance is largely completed by November, Patrick De Haan, GasBuddy’s head of petroleum analysis, said.The easing in fuel costs is not limited to diesel. Average US gasoline prices also fell below $4 per gallon this month for the first time since August 10, GasBuddy data showed.
