Dominican Government Raises Fuel Prices Amid International Volatility

The Dominican government has announced a fuel price adjustment for the week of August 8-14, 2026, citing international market volatility. Premium gasoline and optimal diesel will see a 3 peso per gallon increase, while regular gasoline and diesel will rise by 2 pesos per gallon. These changes are attributed to the geopolitical conflict between the United States and Iran, which has driven up refining margins and transportation costs.

According to official information, the cost of processing fuels has surged significantly since the conflict began. The cost has increased by 95% for premium gasoline and 131% for optimal diesel. This phenomenon, known as the crack spread, causes imported gasoline prices to trend upward even when crude oil prices fall. The government also noted that reduced global reserves are pressuring refining and transportation costs.

The government stated that fully absorbing these international margin increases would jeopardize fiscal sustainability. Without the current adjustments, some fuel prices could have exceeded 80 pesos per gallon. With the new prices, premium gasoline will return to 341.10 pesos per gallon, while regular gasoline will remain below its frozen price. Liquefied Petroleum Gas (GLP) will stay at 135.20 pesos per gallon, with over 25 billion pesos allocated to the stabilization fund.

Other fuel prices for the week include Avtur at 281.50 pesos (down 10.77 pesos), Kerosene at 319.50 pesos (down 11.50 pesos), Fuel oil #6 at 158.18 pesos (down 11.41 pesos), and Fuel oil 1%S at 192.65 pesos (down 7.12 pesos). Natural gas remains at 43.97 pesos per cubic meter. The average weekly exchange rate used for these calculations was 58.60 pesos to the dollar.