Rising fuel prices prompt Minnesota to ease weight limits for farmers, loggers

State officials nationwide are focusing on rising gas and diesel prices tied to the war in Iran, offering gas tax holidays and other measures to ease costs as affordability remains a top voter concern in the critical midterm elections.

The high gas prices took center stage in Ohio on Wednesday, as lawmakers passed a 90-day state gas tax holiday with broad bipartisan support. Including Ohio, about one-third of U.S. states have implemented some form of fuel tax relief, with many taking action within the past week.

Some states have suspended their fuel taxes. Others have temporarily reduced taxes. Other states have taken more targeted relief measures for farmers, loggers and others who use a special type of diesel fuel.

In Minnesota, Gov. Tim Walz addressed rising fuel costs and the impact on several industries by authorizing vehicles transporting agricultural and forest products to exceed regular weight limits by up to 10% on state and local highways.

In an executive order issued Thursday, Walz said allowing producers and haulers to move more products per trip helps conserve fuel and reduce costs during the critical harvest season.

The weight-limit relief applies to vehicles transporting corn, soybeans, wheat, potatoes, carrots, sugar beets, and forest products from harvest sites to the first unloading point on state and local highways. The order does not apply to interstate highways.

Walz’s order remains in effect until it is rescinded or until Oct. 30, whichever comes first.

“Trump started a war with no clear mission, end, or plan to protect American families from the economic wreckage,” said Gov. Walz. “Minnesotans are paying the price every time they fill up their tank or buy groceries. While Trump focuses on ballrooms and alienating our allies, Minnesota is left to clean up the damage caused by his reckless war. We are standing with the farmers, loggers, truckers, and families who feed our communities, power our economy, and keep Minnesota moving.”

The national average price of regular gasoline stood at $4.41 a gallon on Thursday, up roughly 50% since the war with Iran began, according to the AAA Motor Club. The average price of diesel was $6.41 a gallon — just a few cents shy of a record high set last week.

Overall, Minnesota’s average gas price is $4.26 a gallon, slightly below the national average. However, more rural counties such as Cook County, Lake County, and several others across the state have averages ranging from $4.32 to $4.49 a gallon, according to AAA.

In the past week, governors in other states such as Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Texas have all taken steps to provide fuel tax relief for the agricultural industry amid the harvest season.

The executive orders target dyed diesel fuel, which is exempt from state taxes but normally can be used only for off-road machinery like tractors, logging equipment, and irrigation pumps. The orders temporarily waive enforcement of those rules, allowing the tax-exempt diesel fuel to be used in vehicles driven on highways.

Some governors noted that reduced costs for transporting crops could affect grocery prices.

State actions intended to provide relief from high fuel prices don’t always have the effect some consumers expect. That’s partly because fuel price volatility could cause costs to rise even as tax rates fall. But that’s also because taxes typically are charged at the wholesale level, not at the retail pump.

“Customers expect the day that a gas tax holiday takes effect that the price at every pump will be reduced by that amount. But it’s way more complicated than that,” said Jeff Lenard, a spokesperson for the National Association of Convenience Stores.

“The costs and the changes happen further upstream,” he said. “The retailer may also have product that has already been paid for with taxes that needs to be sold before you can acquire the new fuel that is not taxed, and you can lower the price.”

WTIP’s Kalli Hawkins contributed to this report. 

Associated Press October 1, 2026