Argentina's Fuel Tax Hike Amid Global Oil Price Surge

Argentina's government has announced a partial increase in fuel taxes set to take effect on May 1, with further hikes postponed until June. This decision was made public through a decree in the nation's official gazette on Thursday.

The initiative is designed to counter the global surge in oil prices, attributed to ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, aiming to curb its effect on local prices and inflation. Specifically, gasoline taxes will see an increase of 10.398 pesos per liter due to a liquid fuel tax and an additional 0.637 pesos due to an environmental tax.

Similarly, taxes on diesel will rise by 9.269 pesos per liter, with a reduced rate of 5.019 pesos for the Patagonian regions, alongside a 1.056 pesos increment for the carbon dioxide tax. The international spike in crude oil prices, which reached a four-year high above $126 a barrel, poses a threat of exacerbating Argentina's inflation, which was recorded at 3.4% in March.

(With inputs from agencies.)