AbriLivre Director Urges Calm Among Population While Refueling. “Some Gas Stations Take Advantage to Raise Prices. We Do Not Agree with This Kind of Conduct.”

With The Paralysis Of Truck Drivers On Several Highways In The Country, Some Gas Stations Take Advantage Of The High Demand To Raise Fuel Prices

On Thursday (09), Rodrigo Zingales, president of the Brazilian Association of Independent and Free Fuel Resellers (AbriLivre), asked the population to remain calm and pointed out the possibility of some gas stations raising fuel prices due to high demand. “We want to reassure the population to prevent this. After all, it’s a demand increase, and some stations end up taking advantage of it to raise prices. We do not agree with this type of conduct, but it is part of a free market of supply and demand,” he said.

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Gasoline Reaches R$ 7 In August

According to data from IBGE, there was a 30.2% increase in fuel prices. Ethanol soared 62.3%, diesel rose 35.4%, and gasoline went up 39.1%.

The price of gasoline reached R$ 7 in some regions of Brazil. Zingales highlighted that associates reported an increase in demand for fuel at gas stations during the early hours, with lines lasting for hours. However, the president reinforced that most of these lines are now much shorter and gas stations are already able to serve the population.

A New Strike By Truck Drivers

Even with the expectation of road releases by truck drivers, the president emphasized that if they do not stop the protest and create a paralysis similar to that of 2018, prices at gas stations are likely to soar. According to Zingales, it is enough to analyze what happened with the dollar price.

Petrobras may increase fuel prices due to the dollar, distributors will also raise their prices, and resellers end up paying a higher value. In addition, it is still necessary to pass the price increase on to the consumer.

Brazilians Panic Amid The Truck Drivers’ Strike And Rush To Gas Stations

Fearing that the strike by truck drivers in 13 states will cause supply shortages, drivers faced long lines in several cities across the country on Thursday morning (09) to refuel their vehicles.

According to entities, there is no shortage of fuel, just isolated problems generated by the sudden increase in product purchases. The truck drivers’ blockades began on Tuesday (07), following requests from President Jair Bolsonaro, and continued through Wednesday and into Thursday morning. The states where there is a presence of strikes, according to the ministry, are:

• Santa Catarina
• Rio Grande do Sul     
• Paraná     
• Espírito Santo       
• Mato Grosso     
• Goiás
• Bahia       
• Minas Gerais
• Tocantins      
• Rio de Janeiro       
• Rondônia
• Maranhão     
• Roraima      
• São Paulo       
• Pará.

It is noteworthy that there were reports of lines at gas stations in Tocantins, São Paulo, Pernambuco, Santa Catarina, Espírito Santo, and the Federal District. The Ministry of Infrastructure also stated that there is currently no forecast that the truck drivers’ strike will affect the supply of products in Brazil.