Romania sees first fuel price rise after weeks of discounts, then a modest decline

On 19 June 2024, Romanian fuel distributors recorded the first price increase after a series of daily discounts. Petrom raised gasoline to 8.47 lei per litre and diesel to 9.03 lei, with OMV, Rompetrol, MOL, Lukoil and SOCAR posting similar levels. The change complies with a government‑imposed crisis regime that caps commercial margins to last‑year levels and limits price adjustments to one per day.

Within days, national fuel prices began to fall again. Gasoline dropped to roughly 8.5 lei per litre and diesel approached 9 lei as international oil benchmarks slid—Brent to about $82 a barrel and WTI to $80. Analysts linked the decline to lower global oil prices and the prospect of the Strait of Oman reopening, while noting the leu’s recent depreciation had previously pushed prices upward.