U.S. diesel prices continued to climb, rapidly squeezing profits for commercial fishing fleets. According to Sina Finance, U.S. Energy Information Administration data showed the national average diesel price rose to $6.529 per gallon in the week ended September 21, marking an 11th straight weekly increase.

The impact is especially severe for fishing businesses that rely heavily on fuel. Fishermen cannot easily pass fuel costs on to customers the way trucking companies or airlines can, while dockside buyers rather than fishermen usually set catch prices.

In Chatham Harbor on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, diesel prices reached $6.44 per gallon, compared with about $3.48 a year earlier. In Alabama, some shrimp fleets faced diesel prices of about $6.16 per gallon, roughly 80% higher than a year ago, and some owners have left boats at the dock while waiting for prices to ease.

Lobster demand has also remained cautious. Buyers have been purchasing mainly for short-term inventory needs, and dockside prices have not shown further upward momentum. By July, Canadian live lobster exports were down 10.5% year over year.

Maine, one of the most important lobster-producing regions in the United States, reported lobster landings of 78.8 million pounds in 2025, the lowest since 2008, while dockside value still topped $461 million.

The article also said the diesel squeeze is not only a U.S. refining issue. Global diesel markets remain tight, with U.S.-Iran tensions and Russia's extended diesel export ban reducing international supply. U.S. East Coast distillate inventories have fallen to their lowest seasonal level since 1990, and nationwide distillate stocks have dropped to their lowest August level since 1982.