The excise duty on diesel fuel was cut by 25% starting September 1. This month, price pressure comes primarily from the regional diesel market. September is considered the most complicated month, recording a price peak where a ton of diesel rises to 1,300 - 1,400 dollars, compared to 900 dollars in July.

The explanation relates to the forced reconfiguration of supply chains, as diesel produced by Russian refineries is no longer accessible. Russia stopped exporting diesel fuel on July 8. Previously, Turkey used to buy Russian fuel and export its own diesel to the European Union. Now, Turkish buyers compete with other purchasers for available fuel volumes.

Suspensions related to commercial agreements also arise. When observing four large petrol station chains displaying an identical price down to the decimal point, such as 10.2 lei per liter at the end of August, it is natural for question marks to appear. Real commercial differentiation should be visible rather than perfect alignment. Therefore, such situations must be carefully investigated not only by the National Authority for Consumer Protection, but especially by the Competition Council.

When diesel fuel is brought from further away, such as India or Red Sea ports, transportation costs increase significantly. Added to these are much higher insurance premiums for transport through the Black Sea, where there is a permanent risk of a drone striking an oil tanker. All these elements can explain a variation of about 30 euro cents, roughly 1.5 lei more per liter, but strictly for companies that actually import via these expensive routes.

Consequently, the cost structure must be checked for each individual case to determine who brings diesel fuel from long distances with real costs and who buys it nearby while inflating profit margins beyond measure. These insights were discussed by Eugenia Gusilov with Gabi Mihai on Tuesday, September 1, at B1.ro.