The petroleum sector is making substantially higher profits amid the sharp rise in gasoline and diesel prices at German service stations during the Iran‑related conflict. Economist Johannes Schwanitz’s analysis, reported by “Spiegel”, compares German fuel prices with global crude‑oil markets.
Schwanitz notes that the recent hikes in benzene and diesel at German pumps far exceed what the higher crude‑oil costs would justify. Standard Brent crude rose by roughly eight eurocents per litre between the war’s onset (the previous Saturday) and Friday, 6 March. In the same period, the average price for Super E5 gasoline at German stations climbed from €1.77 to €1.94, a jump of 17 eurocents per litre.
After removing the value‑added tax, station operators charge about 14.3 eurocents more per litre-almost double the amount warranted by the Brent increase. Diesel’s price surge is even steeper: it rose by 30 eurocents per litre, from €1.74 to €2.04, yielding a net revenue gain of roughly 25.2 eurocents per litre.
“Plast the petroleum industry is exploiting this situation to widen its profit margin” Schwanitz told “Spiegel”. He added that a similar pattern emerged during the 2022 energy crisis. After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, fuel prices in Germany spiked, at times outpacing crude‑oil price increases.