# US average diesel prices cross $5 a gallon as Middle East War tests global economy | Reuters

> US average retail diesel prices crossed $5 per gallon on Monday for only the second time ever, according to GasBuddy. The Middle East war is squeezing industrial fuel supplies.

- Date: 2026-03-17 · published 2026-03-17T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: geopolitics · region US · magnitude low
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/20338-us-average-diesel-prices-cross-5-a-gallon-as-middle-east-war-tests-global
- Commodities: [ULSD / Diesel](https://feedsoft.ai/c/DIESEL.md)

## Why it matters

Retail diesel above $5 raises transport and processing costs for feed buyers and supports energy-linked commodity values. The effect on grain and meal prices is mainly indirect.

## Read by commodity

- DIESEL: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| DIESEL | 2026-03-04 | [US diesel hits $4 per gallon as fuel costs rise amid escalating Middle East conflict \| Reuters](https://feedsoft.ai/events/5530-us-diesel-hits-4-per-gallon-as-fuel-costs-rise-amid-escalating-middle-east.md) | +6.1% | +30.8% |
| DIESEL | 2026-03-10 | [Diesel markets, upended by Middle East conflict, threaten global economic slowdown \| Reuters](https://feedsoft.ai/events/20337-diesel-markets-upended-by-middle-east-conflict-threaten-global-economic.md) | +11.4% | +27.3% |
| DIESEL | 2025-06-13 | [Diesel most exposed to Middle East conflict, US futures surge 8% \| Reuters](https://feedsoft.ai/events/7756-diesel-most-exposed-to-middle-east-conflict-us-futures-surge-8-reuters.md) | +15.6% | +11.6% |
| DIESEL | 2026-03-07 | [US pump prices surge as Iran war upends global energy supply \| Reuters](https://feedsoft.ai/events/5531-us-pump-prices-surge-as-iran-war-upends-global-energy-supply-reuters.md) | +10.4% | +19.4% |
| DIESEL | 2026-03-19 | [Prices for oil, fuel cargoes smash record highs as Iran war chokes Middle East supply \| Reuters](https://feedsoft.ai/events/6637-prices-for-oil-fuel-cargoes-smash-record-highs-as-iran-war-chokes-middle-east.md) | -6.3% | -10.9% |

## Sources

- reuters.com: https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-average-diesel-prices-cross-5-gallon-middle-east-war-tests-global-economy-2026-03-16/

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.