Government Raises Diesel Price 84% for Large Consumers

Supreme Decree 5676 set a new reference price of Bs. 18.00 per liter of diesel for large-volume buyers ("GRACOS," consuming 20,000+ liters/month) and direct clients, an increase of roughly 84% from the prior Bs. 9.80-9.90 rate. The subsidized Bs. 9.80/liter price remains unchanged for transport operators, small businesses, and individual consumers. YPFB president Sebastián Daroca said the two-tier pricing aims to close the arbitrage margin that fueled cross-border diesel smuggling and end shortage-driven queues at filling stations; the agricultural producers' group Codepro rejected the decree and called instead for opening the fuel import market.