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free_radical's avatar
free_radical
Explorer
Jun 25, 2018

Info on how fuel prices are set in Canada

No hating just the facts..

For people complaining about high fuel prices in Canada this explains all

From CBC news

No matter where they originate, oil products are priced in U.S. dollars. And the Canadian dollar has been the worst performing major currency against the U.S. this year — which may actually mean more money for Canadian oil companies when they convert those U.S. dollars back into loonies, but it's definitely not good news for gas buyers at the pumps

Prices in Canada aren't established in Canada; they're made in the U.S.," says Roger McKnight, chief petroleum analyst with En-Pro. "So whatever happens to the wholesale price in the U.S. automatically hiccups into Canada."
:p

https://retail.petro-canada.ca/en/fuelsavings/gas-price-faqs.aspx


https://www.shell.ca/en_ca/motorists/understanding-fuel-pricing.html

http://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/eic/site/cb-bc.nsf/eng/02926.html

23 Replies

  • Nothing nefarious. The USA doesn't set oil prices. If there is anyone who set oil prices it's OPEC (though they have lost a lot of their power to do so in recent years). They openly admit that they are manipulating output to control prices.

    The underlying price (minus taxes and transport) is the same regardless of where you buy it. Oil doesn't know where it's being pumped.

    Yes, currency shifts will affect the number you see at the pump but it will have a similar effect if you buy a BMW from Germany or a Japanese computer. The current exchange rate will factor into the price.
  • Another problem is taxes. Metro Vancouver has a $0.17/liter surcharge (to subsidize public transit) giving them the highest prices in North America