Fuel Prices Argentina

Part of: GIZ International Fuel Price database
Also see: Argentina Energy Situation

Fuel Pricing Policies

Local Currency:	ARS
Exchange Rate:	3.9718 (2010/11/17)
Last Update:

"Pricing policy: The sector was deregulated in 1989, but in recent years government has kept prices of all forms of energy low through domestic gas and electricity tariff freezes, indirect price controls on petroleum products, and heavy export taxes on oil. Government has been controlling prices in many sectors of the economy through “voluntary” price agreements since 2005 to curb inflation, including those with petroleum product retailers. In Jul 2012, an executive decree 1277/2012 was issued, abrogating sections of 1989 decrees that provided for the freedom to set prices and to import and export fuel. The decree established a new commission that has authority over pricing. Prices of LPG in 10-, 12-, and 15-kg cylinders sold to low-income households have been frozen for years. A federal fund for LPG provides stable LPG prices and helps expand natural gas pipeline networks. The diesel price for public transport used to be subsidized, costing government 6.5 billion pesos (US$1.5 billion) in 2011. Government brought the diesel price for public transport to be in line with the regular retail prices in early 2012.

Response to fuel tourism: Filling stations near the Brazilian border list two different prices for gasoline, one for cars with Argentinian license plates and another one for foreign plates, to restrict Brazilian drivers from buying cheaper fuel in Argentina. Pressure on oil companies to lower prices: In Aug 2010, government ordered oil companies to roll back price increases, while simultaneously threatening to apply the 1974 Law of Supply. Prices remained frozen between mid-Aug and mid-Dec. In February 2011, government issued a resolution after Shell Argentina raised gasoline and diesel prices by up to 3.6%, ordering Shell to reverse the price increases, imposing a price freeze, and requiring oil companies to maintain supplies to the local market at prior-year levels. The resolution was repealed in the following month. In Jan 2012, government accused oil companies of over-charging cargo transporters, launched an investigation, and later in the month ordered the companies to lower diesel prices for both cargo and passenger transport companies.

Consequences of subsidies: Some 3,500 retail outlets closed between 2005 and Mar 2010 because of poor profitability. Use of export tax to lower domestic prices: Until Jan 2013, the export tax on crude oil was 100% above US$45/barrel (bbl), making the export price US$42/bbl. Government relaxed the export tax in Jan 2013, raising the oil export price from US$42 to US$70/bbl.

Information: There is comprehensive coverage on the Web of current and historical gasoline, kerosene, and diesel prices by location and company. Government uses price surveys to boost transparency and indirectly press companies to reduce prices. Monthly price surveys are carried out at filling stations and the National Statistics and Census Institute (Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Censos, or INDEC) posts price and volume information for each filling station every month on its Web site, going back to Dec 2004."

(Source: Kojima, Masami. (2013, forthcoming). “Petroleum product pricing and complementary policies:Experience of 65 developing countries since 2009.” Washington DC: World Bank.)

Fuel Prices and Trends

	Gasoline 95 Octane	Diesel
in USD*
in Local Currency

* benchmark lines: green=US price; grey=price in Spain; red=price of Crude Oil

Fuel Price Composition

Price composition for one litre of Gasoline 95 Octane as of 2002/12/01.

Source: http://uneprisoe.org/Pricing/FuelPricingPolicies.pdf pages 14 and 16

Pump prices based on IFP survey 2002.

Tax Components as of December 2010.

At a Glance

Regulation-Price-Matrix	Transparency of Price Composition Transparency of Pricing Mechanism / Monitoring

Lack of information on fuel tax compositions

Sources to the Public

Type of Information	Web-Link / Source
Other Information	http://uneprisoe.org/Pricing/FuelPricingPolicies.pdf
Other Information	http://www.baliloche.com.ar (Fundación Bariloche)
Other Information	http://www.iae.org.ar (Argentinean Energy Institut (IAE))
Pump prices and margins	http://res1104.se.gov.ar/consultaprecios.eess.php (Prices for all provinces)
Pump prices and margins	http://energia3.mecon.gov.ar/contenidos/verpagina.php?idpagina=3269

Contact

Please find more information on GIZ International Fuel Price Database and http://www.giz.de/fuelprices

This is a living document. If you have any comments or suggestions, please feel free to contact us: Armin.Wagner@giz.de

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