The price of gasoline rose for the fourth week in a row at Brazilian stations this week and surpassed the record observed in the previous week, reaching an average of R$ 7.295 per liter, according to data from the ANP (Agência Nacional do Petróleo, Gás e Biocombustíveis).
The value verified by the agency this week is 0.1% higher than the last survey, of R$ 7,283 per liter.
The highest price detected by the ANP was R$ 8.999, in Tubarão (SC), R$ 0.40 more than the previous week in São Paulo and Guarujá, on the coast of São Paulo.
The price of diesel also maintained an upward trend, being sold, on average, at R$ 6.630 per liter, R$ 0.02 higher than that verified by the ANP in the last week.
The two products underwent the last adjustments in the refineries on March 11th. The recent rise in gasoline is explained by the rise in the price of hydrated ethanol. Diesel, on the other hand, has been impacted by more expensive imports.
The price of hydrous ethanol reversed the upward trend and is already beginning to reflect the 9% drop in São Paulo mills recorded last week, after the start of the harvest.
At the pumps, according to the ANP, the average price of hydrous ethanol was R$ 5.441 per liter, 1.7% lower than the previous week.
The price of cooking gas remained stable again, at R$ 113.11 per 13-kilogram cylinder.
The price of CNG also had a jump this week: it was sold at R$ 5,226 per cubic meter, a value 9.4% higher than that recorded in the last survey.
The increase reflects transfers of the 19% increase in the sale price of Petrobras’ natural gas to piped gas distributors from the beginning of the month.
The market expects adjustments in gasoline and diesel prices soon, as the lag with international quotations is at levels similar to those prior to the mega-increases in March.
According to Abicom (Brazilian Association of Fuel Importers), the average price of diesel in Brazilian refineries is R$1.27 per liter below import parity, a concept used by Petrobras’ pricing policy that simulates how much it would cost to bring the product from abroad.
In the case of gasoline, the domestic price is currently R$ 0.78 per liter below par, according to Abicom. The increase in the lag reflects the devaluation of the real and the recovery of prices in the US market in recent weeks.
This Friday (6), after announcing a profit of R$ 44.5 billion in the first quarter, Petrobras repeated that it will not pass on the volatility of international quotations to the domestic market, but defended its fuel price policy.
The state-owned company was criticized on Thursday (5) by President Jair Bolsonaro (PL), who considered the company’s profit a “rape” and asked that new adjustments be insured.
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