US diesel prices top $6 a gallon as Iran conflict disrupts global fuel flows
US diesel averaged a record $6.05 a gallon on Friday, up from $5.85 a week earlier and $3.70 a year ago, as the US-Iran conflict pushes crude above $100 a barrel.
Diesel prices in the United States climbed past $6 a gallon on average on Friday, setting another record as the conflict between Washington and Iran continues to unsettle global fuel supplies.
The national average stood at $6.05, according to the motor club AAA, compared with $5.85 a week earlier and $3.70 at the same point last year.
The surge carries wide consequences because diesel powers much of the country's freight and delivery networks. Moving goods from ports to warehouses to store shelves becomes more expensive, and some businesses have already begun passing the higher costs to customers through added fees on online orders and mailed packages.
Grocery shoppers may be among the first to notice. Perishable items such as meat and produce are especially exposed, since they must be transported and restocked frequently, and in some cases are harvested with farm equipment that runs on diesel.
Those costs typically take time to reach consumers, but the pressure on diesel does not look likely to ease soon. Pump prices for diesel and for regular gasoline — which averaged $4.29 nationally on Friday — track crude oil closely, and oil has resumed its climb.
This week, both Brent, the international benchmark, and US crude rose above $100 a barrel for the first time in months as fighting between the United States and Iran intensified again.