Diesel fuel (also called diesel oil or gas oil) is a petroleum-derived liquid fuel composed primarily of hydrocarbons in the C10–C22 carbon number range, obtained mainly by the fractional distillation of crude oil in the atmospheric distillation unit, typically boiling between approximately 150°C and 380°C. It is used as the primary fuel for compression-ignition (diesel) engines, which ignite the fuel through the heat generated by compressing air rather than by a spark. Diesel fuel is characterized by its cetane number (a measure of ignition quality), energy density, viscosity, sulfur content, and cold-flow properties. It is widely used in road transport (trucks, buses, cars), rail, marine, agricultural, construction, and stationary power generation applications. Modern diesel fuels are increasingly ultra-low sulfur grades (ULSD) to meet stringent environmental regulations, and may contain biodiesel blends (FAME) as a renewable component.
How About the Price?
Key Influence Events
Data source: UN Comtrade monthly trade statistics (https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?period=202606&cmdCode=271019&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true) | Last updated: 2026-09-24
Price Trajectory, latest 12 months (2025-07 to 2026-06)
The monthly customs export unit value for HS 271019 moved from USD 806/ton in 2025-07 to USD 1,097/ton in 2026-06 (+36.1% across the window). The window high was USD 1,216/ton in 2026-05 and the low USD 651/ton in 2025-08. Three-month averages put the latest quarter +36.0% against the previous one, which is classified here as bullish.
The same panel reported USD 240,519.7 million of export value on 277,239,175 tonnes over the twelve months, an average of 23,103,265 tonnes a month. These are customs returns for the stated HS heading, so they capture the traded mix of that heading rather than a single quoted grade.
Supply-side factors
- Fixed reporting panel of 15 economies: BRA, CZE, DNK, DEU, HUN, IRL, MYS, MEX, NLD, POL, PRT, IND, SWE, EGY, USA. The panel is constant in every month of the window, so month-to-month movement is not a composition effect.
- Monthly unit value range over the window: USD 651 to USD 1,216/ton.
- Latest month, 2026-06: USD 1,097/ton, -9.8% against the previous month, on 21,648,075 tonnes.
Demand-side factors
- COVID-19 lockdowns collapsing diesel transportation and industrial demand (2020 Q1–Q2).
- Seasonal heating oil and diesel demand peaks in winter and agriculture/construction in summer (annually recurring).
- Gradual recovery of diesel demand with easing of COVID restrictions and industrial activity (mid-2020 to early 2021).
- Ongoing demand uncertainty and volatility due to geopolitical tensions (2022–2023).
- Long-term demand moderation due to renewable diesel blending reducing conventional diesel volumes by ~1-2% annually (2025 onward).
Related market pages on this site: Crude Oil, Gasoline, Kerosene, Naphtha market analysis.
Basis: these are customs unit values for the stated HS heading, not quoted spot, contract or assessed prices, and no paid price assessment is used or redistributed on this page. Every figure can be re-checked at the API links listed at the end of this page. Coverage note: HS 271019 is the residual line for petroleum oils other than crude and other than light oils; gas oil/diesel sits in it alongside kerosene-type jet fuel, fuel oil and lubricants.
Top Countries Production Capacity
| Property | Typical Value / Range | Unit | Grade / Standard Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cetane Number | 51 – 55 (min 51) | – | EN 590 (Europe), ASTM D975 |
| Density at 15°C | 820 – 845 | kg/m³ | EN 590 |
| Distillation T95 | max 360 | °C | EN 590 |
| Viscosity at 40°C | 2.0 – 4.5 | mm²/s (cSt) | EN 590 / ASTM D975 Grade 2-D |
| Sulfur Content (ULSD) | max 10 (EU), max 15 (US) | mg/kg (ppm) | EN 590 / EPA ULSD |
| Flash Point | min 55 | °C | EN 590 |
| Cold Filter Plugging Point (CFPP) | –5 to –44 (climate-dependent grade) | °C | EN 590 Classes A–F |
| Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) | max 8 | % m/m | EN 590 |
| FAME Content (biodiesel blend) | up to 7 (B7) | % v/v | EN 590 |
| Lubricity (HFRR wear scar) | max 460 | µm | EN 590 |
| Water Content | max 200 | mg/kg | EN 590 |
| Ash Content | max 0.01 | % m/m | ASTM D975 |
| Commercial Grades | |||
| 1-D (ASTM D975) | Lighter, lower viscosity; cold-weather use | – | ASTM D975 Grade 1-D S15/S500 |
| 2-D (ASTM D975) | Standard road diesel; most common grade | – | ASTM D975 Grade 2-D S15/S500 |
| 4-D (ASTM D975) | Heavy-duty, low-speed engines; high viscosity | – | ASTM D975 Grade 4-D |
| EN 590 Class A–F | European grades differentiated by CFPP for climate zones | – | EN 590 (Europe) |
| Marine Gas Oil (MGO / DMA) | Distillate marine fuel, max 0.1% S in ECA zones | – | ISO 8217 DMA/DMB/DMZ |
| Premium Diesel | Enhanced cetane, detergent additives, improved cold flow | – | Various proprietary (Shell V-Power Diesel, BP Ultimate, etc.) |
Data Sources
Price, volume and capacity figures on this page are computed from the public sources listed below; no subscription assessment data is used or redistributed.
- UN Comtrade monthly public trade statistics — HS 271019, exports, by month (2025-07 to 2026-06): 2025-07, 2025-08, 2025-09, 2025-10, 2025-11, 2025-12, 2026-01, 2026-02, 2026-03, 2026-04, 2026-05, 2026-06
- Fixed reporting panel for this series: BRA, CZE, DNK, DEU, HUN, IRL, MYS, MEX, NLD, POL, PRT, IND, SWE, EGY, USA. The exact API calls are the per-month links above.
- Capacity / output figures: JODI-Oil World Database, 2025 annual file (gas/diesel oil refinery output), annual totals built from monthly kilotonnes — https://www.jodidata.org/_resources/files/downloads/oil-data/annual-csv/secondary/2025.csv. Download page: jodidata.org/oil/database/data-downloads.aspx. A country is included only if it filed a numeric figure in all 12 months of 2025 (59 countries qualified); the Global row is the sum of those reporting countries, not a world estimate.
Who are the Top Players?
| Company | Headquarters | Key Facilities |
|---|---|---|
| ExxonMobil | Irving, Texas, USA | Beaumont TX, Baytown TX, Baton Rouge LA, Joliet IL, Jurong Island Singapore |
| Shell | The Hague, Netherlands | Pernis Rotterdam, Norco LA, Deer Park TX, Sarnia Ontario, Pulau Bukom Singapore |
| BP | London, UK | Whiting IN, Cherry Point WA, Castellon Spain, Castellon Spain |
| Chevron | San Ramon, California, USA | Richmond CA, El Segundo CA, Pasadena TX, Pascagoula MS, Salt Lake City UT |
| Reliance Industries | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India | Jamnagar Gujarat |
| Sinopec | Beijing, China | Qingdao Shandong, Zhenhai Zhejiang, Anqing Anhui, Maoming Guangdong, Beijing Yanshan |
| Marathon Petroleum | Findlay, Ohio, USA | Galveston Bay TX, Garyville LA, Detroit MI, Canton OH, Catlettsburg KY, Anacortes WA |
| Valero Energy | San Antonio, Texas, USA | Texas City TX, Corpus Christi TX, Port Arthur TX, Norco LA, St. Charles LA, Memphis TN, Ardmore OK, Wilmington CA, Benicia CA |
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