Gasoline price: reduction takes longer to be applied – 05/17/2023 – Market

One day after Petrobras announced reductions in the prices of gasoline, diesel and cooking gas and changes in its pricing policy, gas stations began to reduce the amount charged at pumps. But the decrease was not as fast as that seen in times of price readjustments.

The government has been pressuring other links in the chain to quickly lower prices, with the promise of inspection by the Ministry of Justice, but fuel distributors claim that prices are free and that the transfer depends on other components of the cost of the products.

The biggest reduction found by the report this Wednesday (17th) in the capital of São Paulo was R$ 0.40 per liter of gasoline at a Shell network station on Rua da Consolação. A liter of common fuel was sold at BRL 4.99, the same level as gasoline with additives, which saw its price drop by BRL 0.60.

The S-10 diesel liter was being sold at R$ 5.99, after going through a reduction of R$ 0.50. According to the gas station manager, Arlindo Alves, prices had not been changed for about two weeks.

The price of gasoline at the state-owned refineries fell by R$ 0.40 per liter. The price of diesel was reduced by R$ 0.44 per liter. Cooking gas, on the other hand, decreased by R$ 8.97 per 13-kilogram cylinder. The new values ​​came into force this Tuesday (16) and already reflect the new pricing policy, which abandoned the concept of import parity.

The transfer to the consumer, however, depends on the commercial policies of distributors and service stations. In the case of gasoline, part of the gain will be offset by the increase in ICMS, in early June, and by the reinstatement of federal taxes, in July.

According to Sincopetro (Retail Trade Union of Petroleum Derivatives of the State of São Paulo), the discounts verified at the pumps are below the reductions announced by Petrobras. The entity collected data at two Vibra/BR stations, three at Ipiranga and two at Shell in the capital.

According to the survey, the drop in the price of common gasoline for consumers is no more than R$ 0.25, and that of diesel S-10 reaches a maximum of R$ 0.36.

“Consumers want to go to the gas station and pay less than they used to. But the problem lies with the distributor, which does not transfer [a queda] for the post”, says José Alberto Paiva Gouveia, president of Sincopetro.

Porto Alegre and Curitiba

In the metropolitan area of ​​Porto Alegre (RS), on the banks of the BR-116, where the lowest prices tend to be practiced, the most affordable gas stations sold gasoline between R$4.79 and R$4.99.

According to João Carlos Dal’Aqua, president of Sulpetro (Intermunicipal Union of Retail Fuels and Lubricants of RS), the adaptation of prices to Petrobras’ new policy will still depend on the inventories of distributors in the coming days.

For Dal’Aqua, the drop may or may not be noticed in Rio Grande do Sul or occur for a very short period, as from June the single rate of R$ 1.22 of ICMS, R$ 0.27 more than the current value.

In central districts of Curitiba (PR), fuel stations even showed reductions of R$ 0.20 to R$ 0.30 in the price of regular gasoline.

At a gas station located on one of the main thoroughfares in the Rebouças neighborhood, the price charged per liter dropped from R$5.79 to R$5.49. At the station on a large avenue in the Mercês neighborhood, the change was from R$5.49 to R$5.29. Other gas stations in the same neighborhood recorded a drop of R$ 0.20.

Paranapetro (Union of Fuel Resellers and Convenience Stores of the State of Paraná) informed that it does not carry out price surveys, but, in a note, said that “the speed and dimension of the transfer depends mainly on the price policy of the distributors”, since that gas stations cannot buy directly from refineries.

“In previous situations, in general, the distributors passed on the casualties to the posts in a staggered way. On the other hand, in the rises, the distributors usually pass them on to the posts with great agility”, stated the union’s communiqué.

When contacted, Procon said it was preparing inspection measures. The government of Paraná maintains an application called “Menor Price”, linked to the Nota Paraná program, which promises to update in real time the values ​​​​practiced in some establishments. The tool is updated whenever a new sale is made.

Belo Horizonte

In Belo Horizonte, the gas stations started this Wednesday (17) reducing the price of fuel practiced in the city. At Savassi, in the south-central region of the capital, the price charged at one of the busiest stations in the region was R$5.19, compared to R$5.29 before the reduction.

Minaspetro, the union of gas stations in the state, says that it does not survey prices and that it defends the previous readjustment model, which, in its view, guaranteed greater predictability to the market and put the state-owned company in line with international management practices.

The entity says that it sees the new policy with trepidation: “Initially, fuel prices may, in fact, fall, but the political influence on the values ​​of a product that has variables generated by a complex industry can be risky from a managerial point of view for the state-owned company and takes away the predictability of retailers and other links in the market.”

Salvador and Recife

In Salvador, the situation is different. The state’s main fuel supplier is the Mataripe refinery, which was privatized by Petrobras in 2021 and is currently managed by Acelen, from the Mubadala Capital group.

The company does not follow Petrobras’ pricing policy and reported that it adopts a “transparent methodology, based on an objective formula, approved by the regulatory agency, which ensures predictability and fair prices”.

According to Acelen, the prices of fuel produced at the Mataripe refinery have been reduced in recent months, following reference markets. Since the beginning of the year, there has been a reduction of 16% in the price of gasoline and 31% in the price of diesel

“The downward adjustments reflect the company’s pricing policy, which follows technical criteria, taking into account variables such as the cost of oil, the dollar and freight, in line with international market practices,” the company informed.

This Wednesday, the retail price of gasoline varied between R$ 4.94 and R$ 5.99 at gas stations in the capital of Bahia, according to data from the Price of the Hour, an application of the state government that monitors the prices of products according to the amount recorded on the invoice.

Last week, according to a survey by the ANP (National Petroleum Agency), the resale price of common gasoline ranged between R$ 5.32 and R$ 5.79 in the capital of Bahia.

In Recife, gas stations sell between R$ 4.99 and R$ 5.20 per liter this Wednesday. According to the ANP, last week, the average price was R$5.13.

“Every time the distributor goes up to the stations immediately, but, when it comes down to it, they say they have a high stock and they keep breaking it down”, says the president of the union of fuel stations in Pernambuco, Alfredo Pinheiro Ramos.

Ramos also points out that the average price of gasoline may be readjusted in June with the new ICMS collection format in the state. “As of June, with the modification that will be made to the ICMS, after agreement between the STF and the governors, the value of gasoline in Pernambuco will rise by 27 cents.”

Senacon recommends price monitoring

Senacon (National Consumer Secretariat) issued a letter to state and municipal Procons across the country this Tuesday to ask for fuel price monitoring in all regions of the country. According to the agency, the follow-up serves to ensure that the reduction announced by Petrobras reaches the final consumer.

The Procon-SP said, in a note, that in Brazil there is no control or pricing, including fuel, and therefore recommends that consumers monitor the average prices practiced.

The pressure for transfers is reinforced by Petrobras itself, which, unusually, decided to project what the average pump price of products would be after the cuts in refineries in the statement that released the new pricing policy.

In notes sent to Folha, two of the country’s largest fuel distributors stressed that fuel prices in the country are free and vary according to different cost structures and competitive conditions across the country.

Ipiranga stated that “it practices a price policy in line with current parameters, meeting industry norms. Whenever there is a new adjustment, the company updates its commercial conditions for its service station network throughout Brazil”.

Vibra said that “it values ​​the best commercial practices in its business and that the composition of the fuel price is influenced by several factors, such as the location of the gas station, the mode of transport for delivery, competition in the region, among others “.