Gas Price Shocker in Japan

Here in Germany, we're currently having prices around 5€ (6.12600US$) / gallon...

 

Price comparisons without noting what the taxes on the product are don't mean a whole lot.

For me in the US state of New Hampshire:

Price of product = $1.939 per gallon
Federal tax = .184 per gallon
State tax = . 206 per gallon
Cost at the pump = $2.329

 

I'll bet the critics would start to whistle a different tune if OUR gas prices in the US reached those levels.

 

The german gas price is at 1,35 euro / liter (1gallon = 3.7854118 liters)

which means 4,92103534 euro / gallon

4,92103534 euro = 6,0715734 dollar ;-)

 

I filled up on the Navy base (military discount) in Coronado, CA and paid $2.519/gallon. Civilian price 'out in town' was $2.579/gallon. All prices are for 87octane, of course.

 

Guess we are lucky here in the Denver CO area... a quick scan of 'Denver Gas Prices" http://www.denvergasprices.com/ shows a low of $2.07 and a high of $2.49...

In Primm NV I put $25 in the tank, gas there was $2.75.. and the slots were not paying either... :cussing:

Bob Andersen

 

I'm confused. Isn't the price of the product all over the world pretty much the same, aside from transportaion issues and local supply and demand issues. I suspect that those local issues probably affect the price by about 75 cents a gallon, tops.

But here we have gas in Germany at $6 gallon, USA $2.10 to $2.70, and in Japan at $4.

So when we compare the price of gas around the country, and around the world, aren't we really ONLY comparing the taxes?

Does anyone know the pre tax cost of gas in Germany and Japan?

 

Don't you also need to factor in the cost of living and average income figures for each country to accurately measure the impact of the gas prices for the consumers?

 

Impact, yes, but the question remains: how much of what each country/region/state pays for gasoline is in fact for taxation? Can it be that gasoline costs, say, $0.50 everywhere, transportation accounts for, say, $0.25-$0.50 depending upon location, and the balance is either profit or government taxation. If we further assume a profit to the companies of $1, then the balance is tax. It would not surprise me that Germany is paying $4 per gallon in taxes; I think California gets about $0.30 per gallon and the Federal Excise is similar.

I will ask my friend in The Netherlands how his is divided up.

 

Okay, a search revealed some data:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasoline_tax
http://www.energy.ca.gov/gasoline/statisti...state_2002.html

The U.S. federal gasoline tax as of 2005 was 18.4 cents per U.S. gallon, California charges $0.33/gallon.

As of 2005 fuel duty in the United Kingdom is:

47.1 pence per litre (83 ¢/L, US$3.13/USgal) for ultra-low sulphur unleaded petrol/diesel
50.9 pence per litre (89 ¢/L) for conventional unleaded petrol
53.27 pence per litre (94 ¢/L) for conventional diesel
27.1 pence per litre (48 ¢/L) for biodiesel and bioethanol (to encourage conversion)


I suspect that there are other taxes tied to fuel to support social engineering, etc.

 

It is also a matter of supply and demand and greedy monopolies. In a country like Japan, they have a very high demand but a smaller supply. It is not just the ability of the country/oil companies to buy gas on the market, but also the ability of the refineries to put out enough gas from that oil purchased on the world market. California pays a higher price because we can only use fuel with certain additives that are only produced by refineries here in CA. Our demand is high and the refinery capacity is lower.

But there is also the monopolistic nature of the fuel industry. They don't really compete, they just raise prices and the others join in. They are making record profits and yet blame the cost of gas on low production and $61 a barrel oil from OPEC. That price of $61 will continue to rise with no end in sight. China is increasing it's demand as is the rest of Asia. OPEC nations are reaching or have reached peak oil production. This will continue the upward spiral of cost per gallon. But add to this the greed of Exxon, Chevron and Shell. They are making record profits because they raise the cost of gas to us much more than is the result of increased prices from OPEC. Then add to this that those very rich oil companies pay our politicians to vote against legislation that would encourage alternate fuels and methods of transportation. Isn't it funny that Standard Oil was once declared a monopoly with far less profit and more competition than it enjoys now under its new name of Chevron?

 

The Tax in Germany is:

0,66 € Gasoline Tax including Economy Tax
0,18 € VAT (16% ~ assuming 1,30 € / liter)

So the "real" price without taxes would be approx. 0,46€ which is 0,57$ per liter

(1.74129€ / gallon = 2.1484029$ / gallon)

 

Hasn't been that low in weeks. The cheapest I have seen is at Costco, $2.459 for regular grade.

At non membership retailers, it is running at $2.559 and upwards.

Here is a good price tracking site:

GasBuddy

 

Well, Gov't intervention to lower prices is NOT the answer. This is America, a capitalistic society. If we, the buying public, are willing buy the product at the prices the company sets, then they have the right, and duty to the shareholders, to set it.

Don't leave out that these companies are owned by investors who want a return. I made my stateemnt to the gas companies by buying a Prius. I also carpool. I am looking into moving closer to work. I don't own stock in any of the oil companies

Every darn one of us, if we had a product people wanted, would ask for the best price we could get. I could give examples endlessly of how each and every one of us are willing to pay for what we want. We would scream if the Gov't told us what we could charge but we seem to demand they tell others.

I am not saying gas prices are not too high, I am saying we have to stop looking always to the Gov't to solve every little issue for us.

They usually just muck it up. And the bureaucracy they create has to be funded so the price goes up anyway.

 

actually, comparing the cost of gas is not comparing taxes. because we actually supply some of our gas locally, it becomes cheaper due to less cost to market. countries that have no gas to speak of, dont enjoy that luxury.