Pemex denies "gasolinazo" in January, but does not rule out hikes by conjuncture

Mexico will not live a "gasolinazo" next January as the beginning of 2017, but can not rule out an increase in the price of gasoline due to the fall of the Mexican peso or the increase in the price of gasoline. barrel, Pemex said today.

Mexico, Nov 16 (EFE) .- Mexico will not experience a "gasolinazo" next January as the beginning of 2017, but can not rule out an increase in the price of gasoline due to the fall of the peso Mexican or the increase in the barrel, Pemex said today.

"It is being said that the price will rise sharply from one day to the next on January 1, as happened last year, but this It is not in the plans, "said the general director of Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex), José Antonio González, in statements to Radio Fórmula.

The Mexican Association of Entrepreneurs Gasolineros (Amegas) warned on Thursday of a possible 20% rise in gasoline prices in Mexico in January 2018, due to a rise in international markets and conditioned by Inflation.

Gonzalez explained today that in Mexico the cost of gasoline is established based on the international reference - the price of a barrel in Houston - to which the cost is added. transport.

"Before we had only one transport cost and we took the average in the whole country, and now we take the cost of different places," he explained.

After this explanation, remarked that the price of gasoline is based on "international cost, which is not the cost of Pemex", which is in a decline in production.

González no It ruled out a rise in prices, attributable both to the increase in the price per barrel and to the depreciation of the peso against the dollar.

He explained that the formula applied to establish the The cost of fuel in Mexico seeks to reflect the cost, but also mitigate any increase, taking into account the "long-term trend of the price of gasoline."

"We are going to continue with the mechanism of price smoothing as hitherto. He stressed.

Mexico started a process of liberalization of gasoline prices in 2017 that ends at the end of December with the opening of the market in the states of Campeche, Quintana Roo and Yucatán, located in southeastern Mexico.

Before this liberalization, which began in March, the Government established a price increase of between 14% and 20% on 1 January, a measure that caused strong mobilizations and altercations throughout the country.