The people of Uruguay that, taking advantage of the long weekend and the exchange difference, they crossed towards Argentina They found a surprise at the service stations of the coastal cities: the naphtha it cost them a 35% more expensive than, perhaps, in other establishments in the neighboring country.
This not only happened at the pumps. YPF, but also in the service stations of the Argentine state oil company’s competitors. This is a differential that had already been charged since 2021—with the government’s endorsement—when there was shortage of gasoil, but which now rose due to the high demand caused by Uruguayans who cross the border in search of better prices on fuel and other products.
The objective of the measure is to discourage consumption by foreigners to guarantee the domestic market supply Argentine, and most service stations, regardless of which company they belong to, implement it. Likewise, in some establishments they also applied a sales cap 20 liters for vehicles with foreign patent.
Uruguay has the most expensive fuel in Latin America
This situation occurs at the moment when the price gap between Uruguay and Argentina is at its all-time highs, with a Border Price Index (IPF) of 180%, as measured in September Salto Economic Observatory of the Catholic University of Uruguay (UCU).
In this scenario caused by the exchange difference Between both countries, Uruguayans have been crossing the border en masse to acquire goods at more convenient prices for the exchange rate used in the country, in relation to the cities on the Argentine coast. And, of course, the fuels are on the list of most accessible products on the other side of the Silver river.
In fact, the fuels They are 185% cheaper in Concordia (Entre Ríos) what in Leap —even considering the discount on the Imesi that the coastal service stations have. If you look at the gap in diesel, it is 290% more expensive in Uruguay, while gasoline is 193% more expensive in the national territory.
If we add to this that fuel in the country has been rising in recent months – due to the increase in international reference prices, especially the Petroleum, and the impossibility of National Administration of Fuel, Alcohol and Portland (Ancap) to contain such increases in consumer prices—the difference in values is significant.
In that sense, the energy report prepared SEG Engineering showed that Uruguay have the most expensive fuel in all of Latin America, with a value of 1.47 dollars per liter for diesel and 1.95 dollars per liter for gasoline. In counterpart, Argentina It has the lowest values in the region, with 0.99 dollars per liter of diesel and 0.87 dollars per liter of gasoline.
Source: Ambito
