By Chen Cheng-hui / Staff reporter
Domestic gasoline and diesel prices this week are to remain unchanged for a second consecutive week, as the nation’s two major refiners absorb cost changes to comply with a government policy of keeping consumer prices stable during the holiday season.
Gasoline prices at state-run CPC Corp, Taiwan (CPC, 台灣中油) and privately owned Formosa Petrochemical Corp (台塑石化) stations are to remain at NT$29.6, NT$31.1 and NT$33.1 per liter for 92, 95 and 98-octane unleaded gasoline respectively, the companies said.
The price of premium diesel fuel is to stay at NT$28.2 per liter at CPC stations and NT$28 at Formosa pumps, they added.
The companies’ moves were against market trends, as global crude oil prices were down for the second straight week last week. Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures fell 2.85 percent last week to US$72.53 a barrel at the New York Mercantile Exchange, while Brent decreased 2.22 percent to US$76.76 per barrel at London’s ICE Stock Exchange.
Separately, prices of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) products, including household and automotive LPG, propane and butane, as well as propane and butane mixes, would remain unchanged this month, CPC said.
Liquefied natural gas prices for retail users would also stay the same this month, but prices for industrial users would rise 3 percent from last month, it added.