TOKYO (MNI) – The average price of regular gasoline in Japan this
week slumped to Y149.5 ($1.82) per liter, or $6.92 per gallon, from
Y151.1 last week, posting the fourth straight weekly drop, but was still
much higher than a year ago, data released by the Oil Information Center
showed on Wednesday.
On April 25, the national average of regular gasoline prices rose
to Y152.7, the highest level in more than 30 months, since the week that
started on Oct. 20, 2008, when the average price stood at Y157.4.
The average price this week was up 7.1% from Y139.6 per liter seen
a year earlier.
Retail gasoline prices were on a general upward trend from
mid-January 2009 until May 31, 2010, when they began to ease prior to
the recent pickup.
This week the average price of high-octane gasoline stood at Y160.3
per liter, down from Y161.9 in the previous week. It hit a record high
of Y196.0 on Aug. 4, 2008.
The average price of diesel fuel stood at Y130.3 per liter this
week, down from Y131.7 last week. That compares with the record high of
Y167.4 recorded on Aug. 4, 2008.
The average over-the-counter price of kerosene for heating stood at
Y1,699 per 18 liters this week, down from Y1,710 last week. It posted a
record high of Y2,378 on Aug. 11, 2008.
The average home-delivery kerosene price this week was at Y1,813
per 18 liters this week, up/down from Y1,824 last week. It hit a record
high of Y2,484 on Aug. 11, 2008.
tokyo@marketnews.com
** Market News International Tokyo Newsroom: 81-3-5403-4835 **
[TOPICS: M$J$$$,M$A$$$,MAJDS$]
