While fuel prices struggle to decrease at the pump, a document from the executive branch reveals to what extent distributors have increased their gross margins since the start of the war in the Middle East.
Gross margins of fuel distributors in France are higher today than before the start of the war in the Middle East, franceinfo learned on Friday, April 24, after consulting a government working document. Earlier this week, the government asked distributors to present “the evolution and calculation of their margins” after a meeting with them.
According to the figures in this document, the gross margin averaged 30 cents per liter at the beginning of the year. By the end of April, it is 33.6 for diesel and almost 30 for gasoline on average. This gross margin is intended to cover transportation costs, as well as employee salaries. It is important to differentiate it from the net margin, which is much lower.
Some distributors even show significantly higher gross margins: 39, 43, sometimes even over 50 cents per liter for diesel, and nearly 40 cents for gasoline, again according to the document’s figures. Among them are Total Energies, ENI, Esso, AVIA, as well as Carrefour Market, Carrefour Contact, or Intermarché.
According to an advisor to the executive branch, these figures highlight “unacceptable facts.” In mid-April, the government mentioned a decree project to cap distributor margins, sparking anger from them.
