Gasoline and ethanol prices fall in the first week of 2022, says ANP

The average prices of gasoline and ethanol fell in the first week of 2022 in Brazil, according to a survey released by the ANP (National Agency for Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels) this Friday (7th).

The liter of regular gasoline dropped from R$ 6,618 to R$ 6,596. The decline was 0.33%. It’s the eighth in a row.

Ethanol, on the other hand, went from R$ 5.063 to R$ 5.051, a slight retraction of 0.24%. It’s the seventh week in a row.

The ANP survey is carried out at gas stations across the country. In 2021, the average price of gasoline rose 46% in 2021, according to the agency. Ethanol, in turn, rose 59%.

The rise in fuel prices became a concern for President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) throughout the pandemic. The increase in gasoline has been putting pressure on inflation in Brazil, which has had an impact on the president’s popularity.

On different occasions, Bolsonaro has criticized Petrobras, which takes into account oil prices on the international market and the variation of the dollar to set fuel prices in refineries.

The ANP also reported that the average price of a liter of diesel had a slight increase of 0.15% this week. Fuel rose from R$5,336 to R$5,344.

The surge in diesel fuel in the pandemic spreads a series of reflexes in different sectors of the Brazilian economy, as it makes the transport of cargo and passengers more expensive.

In 2021, the situation generated a wave of criticism from truck drivers to the federal government and Petrobras. Part of the category even organized strikes last year, but the strikes did not take shape.