FORTUNE+ VIDEO SPONSORED CONTENTS ADVERTORIALS FORTUNE AUDIO Fortune Careers TRADE AFRICA Election 2026 New TIME REMAINING UNTIL ETHIOPIA’S NATIONAL ELECTION 0Days 0Hours 0Minutes 0Seconds

Fortune Logo

Benzene Price Surges by 7.7pc, While Diesel Jumps by 8.3pc

Apr 1 , 2026

Federal trade authorities have made a sweeping upward revision to domestic fuel prices effective Wednesday evening, April 1, 2026, as geopolitical volatility in the Middle East forces the government to pass a greater share of rising procurement costs onto consumers.

The adjustment comes one month after the previous price setting, signaling a quickening pace of fiscal reform amid mounting global instability.

Officials at the Ministry of Trade & Regional Integration (MoTRI) set new pricing structure, with benzene surging from 132.18 Br to 142.4 Br a litre, a 7.7pc increase, while standard diesel climbed by 8.3pc to reach 151.39 Br. However, the most acute pressure was felt in the industrial and heavy transport sectors. Heavy black diesel saw the most dramatic surge, jumping by 19.9pc from 133.45 Br to 160 Br a litre, a jump that is expected to reverberate through manufacturing and logistics supply chains.

Other grades saw similarly aggressive hikes, including light black diesel by 19.6pc to 163.9 Br, and white diesel climbed by 16.6pb to 163 Br. Trads ​officials attributed the timing of the hike to the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel, which has fractured global supply chains and  delayed the arrival of a critical 180,000tns fuel shipment.

For Ethiopia, which imports nearly four million tonnes of fuel annually, such disruptions create immediate inventory bottlenecks and exacerbate the foreign exchange requirements needed to secure future deliveries.

Despite the higher prices at the pump, trade official state the government continues to provide a substantial cushion, subsidising diesel at 95 Br a litre and gasoline at 42 Br. With total subsidy spending having already reached 262 billion Br, the federal government is currently struggling with a monthly fiscal burden estimated between 15 billion and 20 billion Br.

Put your comments here

N.B: A submit button will appear once you fill out all the required fields.



Related Posts

Share This Post
Linkedin
Google+


Most read

Latest News

Editor's pick

Commentaries

The Geopolitical Battle Over Monetary Infrastructure

The development of payment infrastructure in emerging-market economies (EMEs), from i...

Making Roads Pathways of Progress, Not Corridors of Grief

For decades, Ethiopia's roads have been described through the language of fate. The d...

Fineline

Leaders of the National . . .

Leaders of the National Election Board are in a charm offensive mood, of a sort. Last week, they organised a rare tour for members of the me...

When the country’s most. . .

When the country's most senior diplomats and envoys return back to their posts after two-week debriefings, they leave behind a point or two...

Editorial

Every Encounter with the State Should Not Become an Invoice

May 9 , 2026

The Ethiopian state appears to have discovered a fiscal instrument that is politicall...

National Dialogue Has Everything But the Trust It Needs

May 2 , 2026

By the time Ethiopia's National Dialogue Commission (ENDC) reached the end of its fir...

Addis Abeba's Roads Reveal a Country Where the Powerful Drive Through the Law

Apr 25 , 2026

In a political community, official speeches show what governments want their citizens...

Ethiopia's New Diplomacy Essence Could Be About Shielding Sovereignty

For much of the past three decades, Ethiopia occupied a familiar place in the Western...

Gallery

Parliament Approves New Cabinet Members

Oct 6 , 2021

Parliament Approves New Cabinet, Incorporates Opposition Leaders Lawmakers have approved today the nominations of 22 ministers, including three opposition leaders. Two MPs have voted against, while 12 abstained...

2020 in Posterity

Jan 5 , 2021

TIGRAY VOTES DESPITE "NULL & VOID" THREAT

Sep 9 , 2020

IN-PICTURE: LAUREATE'S RECEPTION  

Dec 14 , 2019

PM Abiy Ahmed (PhD) at a Gala Dinner Called for the Awarding of the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize

May 6 , 2019

Faces, Voices of Addis Abeba

Apr 26 , 2019

Sunday With Eden

The Silence That Leadership Can't Keep

A few days ago, I attended a virtual conference in Canada that stayed with me, not be...

Development That Redraws the Rent Line

Urban renewal is often sold as a promise: cleaner streets, safer neighbourhoods, bett...

Life Matters

Motivation Drops as the Day Begins in Sleepwear

We have all seen the aesthetic. The “work from home” dream usually comes packaged...

The Final Exam No One Prepared For

The first time I heard about the “Mesob” one-stop service initiative, relief came quickly. It sounded like a promise to citizens worn do...