TOKYO (MNI) – The average price of regular gasoline in Japan this week rose
to Y146.8 ($1.79) per liter, or $6.80 per gallon, from Y145.5 last week, marking
the first rise in 10 weeks, data from the Agency for Natural Resources and
Energy showed Wednesday.
The average retail price this week was 2.2% above the Y143.6 per liter
price seen a year earlier, a 14th straight week of year-on-year rise, following
a 1.3% gain in the previous week.
The average price of regular gasoline reached Y139.4 in the week that began
on July 9, the lowest since Y139.0 in the Feb. 28, 2011 week.
In the May 21, 2012 week, the average price of regular gasoline marked the
first year-on-year drop since the week that started on Nov. 24, 2009.
Earlier, the gasoline price hit Y158.3 in the week starting on April 2, the
highest in three and a half years.
The average price of high-octane gasoline stood at Y157.6 per liter this
week, up from Y156.4 in the previous week. It hit a record high of Y196.0 on
Aug. 4, 2008.
The average price of diesel fuel was at Y126.6 per liter, up from Y125.6 in
the previous week. That compares with the record high of Y167.4 recorded on Aug.
4, 2008.
Meanwhile, the average over-the-counter price of kerosene for heating stood
at Y1,647 per 18 liters this week, up from Y1,630 last week. It posted a record
high of Y2,378 on Aug. 11, 2008.
The average home-delivery kerosene price was at Y1,772 per 18 liters, also
up from Y1,756 the previous week. It hit a record high of Y2,484 on Aug. 11,
2008.
–MNI Tokyo Bureau; tel: +81 90-4752-7020; email: yseki@mni-news.com
–MNI Tokyo Bureau; tel: +81 90-4670-5309; email: msato@mni-news.com
[TOPICS: MAJDS$,M$A$$$,M$J$$$]
