The national average price cap for the week of December 5 to 11 for the Petroleum liquid gas (LP) will be 22.72 pesos per kilogram, which implied its greatest decrease since the policy of maximum prices for consumers of this hydrocarbon began.
After 19 weeks, this ceiling is lower even than the first one that was established to contain the price rises of the distributors, since from August 1 to 7, the first maximum price that was established was 22.92 pesos per kilogram.
In addition, it remains below the average of the last date without a cut in which the distributors reported their prices, as of June 30, when the price of fuel was 25.19 pesos per kilogram.
Last week, the Federal Economic Competition Commission (Cofece) determined that there are no effective competition conditions in 97% of the country, that is, in 213 of the 220 geographic markets defined for the distribution of Petroleum liquid gas (LP) to end users, which means that the maximum price scheme provided by the federal government could remain in place until there are sufficient competitors and conditions to free this market again.
According to Cofece, in the cast of gas LP Through distribution plants and distribution tank trucks, they increased their profits 145% from the opening of the market in 2016 to April of this year, a period in which the spot price of this fuel in the US Mont Belvieu market increased only 15 percent.
Through a statement, the investigating authority of the economic competition regulator explained that this declaration is preliminarily relevant because energy markets, such as the gas LP, have a cross-cutting effect on the economy, which implies that when their prices rise, the costs of producing other goods, for example, some foods, increase, which has a direct impact on the purchasing power of families, especially those with lower incomes.
In particular, in the period between December 2016 and April 2021, distributors increased their average gross profit margin nationwide by 145%, “revealed Cofece.
The gas It then went from a final price of 14.50 pesos per kilogram to the 20 pesos at which it closed at the national average set by the distributors before the intervention of the current administration to set maximum prices, with which it increased by more than 45%, while that the spot price of the US Mont Belvieu market, according to the US Energy Information Administration went from 0.659 to 0.750 dollars per gallon, which implies an increase of less than 15% in the molecule that is part of the formula, which It implies that the rest of the increase in the consumer price in Mexico was a margin that the distributors reinvested and earned in their operation.
karol.garcia@eleconomista.mx
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