Fecombustíveis, which brings together employers’ unions representing around 45,000 gas stations in the country, said this Thursday that it had received reports that distributors were raising prices, due to the impact of the rise in oil prices on the international market due to the conflict in the Persian Gulf.
According to the entity, the market is free and it is up to each station to determine whether or not it will pass on possible cost increases, according to the logic of free competition and the competitive strategies of each company.
The reported adjustment occurs despite the fact that Petrobras, which accounts for around 70% of supply in Brazil, has not changed its prices.
But the market is also supplied by imported fuel and some private refineries, which are reacting to the rise in oil prices, added Fecombustíveis.
“Therefore, national prices are affected by prices charged on the foreign market”, stated the entity.
“Retail stations, in turn, represent only the last and most fragile link in the sales chain and are subject to increased costs for purchasing fuel from distributors, with possible impacts on consumer prices”, he added.
In addition to the product imported by distributors or importers, private refineries such as Mataripe (Bahia), Clara Camarão (Rio Grande do Norte) and Amazonas generally follow international market prices, said Fecombustíveis.
Oil prices have jumped since the start of attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran, with the conflict resulting in navigational risks for oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of global oil flows, and a reduction in production in countries such as Iraq and Qatar.
This Thursday, Brent oil rose US$4.01, or 4.93%, to US$85.41 per barrel, in a fifth session of gains. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude rose $6.35, or 8.51%, to $81.01, its highest since July 2024.
Petrobras is evaluating the market, as it avoids passing on the global volatility of oil to , said the oil company’s president, Magda Chambriard, to Reuters, at the beginning of the week.
But, with the rise in the price of oil and oil products on the international market, by Thursday morning the discount on imported products had reached around 30%, the biggest gap since 2022, Goldman Sachs pointed out in a note to clients.
The president of the Brazilian Association of Fuel Importers (Abicom), Sérgio Araujo, told Reuters this Thursday that he understands Petrobras’ decision to wait for the market to settle before making adjustments, but pointed out that it is time to raise domestic prices, citing the risk of the situation discouraging purchases by importers, who supply part of the market.
When contacted, distributor Ipiranga — one of the three largest in the country, together with Vibra and Raízen — stated that the company continuously monitors market conditions and can make commercial adjustments, always in compliance with current legislation and aligned with industry practices.
The company also said that “the final price at gas stations is defined by resellers, since the Brazilian market operates under the principle of free competition, as established by legislation.”
The other two main distributors did not comment, while IBP, which represents all of them, stated that the formation of fuel prices in the national distribution chain is free, following the dynamics of supply and demand.
Fecombustíveis highlighted the importance of “clarifying the facts”, so that dealer stations are not “unfairly held responsible” by public opinion due to the increase in operating costs caused by price increases that occurred in previous stages of the chain.
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