The Bundesverband Güterverkehr, Logistik und Entsorgung (BGL) has issued an urgent warning following a sharp rise in diesel prices and is demanding that the Bundeskartellamt launch an immediate investigation.
In a letter to Andreas Mundt, president of the Kartellamt, BGL spokesperson Dirk Engelhardt cautions that the sector could face severe consequences if the situation continues unchecked. He reports that BGL has received “feedback from all regions of Germany about drastic price spikes that are pushing numerous firms to the brink of economic viability”.
Engelhardt urges the competition authorities to “strongly review the price‑formation mechanisms in the German fuel market in the short term”. Such an inquiry would clarify whether the pronounced divergence of German prices relative to other European markets stems from structural factors, market conduct, or potential distortions of competition.
According to BGL’s own price data, Germany shows the steepest increase among the countries examined, and this growth “cannot be explained solely by changes in crude‑oil prices” Engelhardt added. The surge in operating costs has massive economic repercussions for transport companies. Because margins in the logistics industry are already thin, the current trend is likely to create real liquidity problems in the very near term. This endangers not only individual businesses but the functioning of entire supply chains, Engelhardt warned.