Argentines Queue for Fuel as FX Shortage Strands Tankers at Sea

[carride]

Fuel supply is also pressured by regulation: gasoline prices are fixed until October 31, while a fuel liter at the pump goes for about 40 cents in Argentina, the lowest level in Latin America behind Venezuela and Ecuador, one person said. Argentina imports 32% of its fuel: 20% of its diesel and 12% of its super gasoline.

Argentines Queue for Fuel as FX Shortage Strands Tankers at Sea

Drivers in Argentina are dealing with long lines at the pump and completely closed gas stations as the government’s dollar shortage strands ships at sea that are waiting to import fuel.

www.bloomberg.com

 

[FrankPintor]

Seems to be true, though very little reported in the local press, basically there's only this syndicated article at the moment: https://www.perfil.com/noticias/blo...na-por-problemas-para-pagar-importacion.phtml

I filled up in Belgrano on Saturday, there was a queue but I just put it down to pre-election jitters. Several pumps were out of service, though, and the YPF station didn't have the grade of petrol I wanted. It's a bit surprising that there are payment problems, since all the indications are that the central bank had good inflows of money this week.

Editing to add: there are reports of shortages in supermarkets and pharmacies, but I haven't seen that myself. All the shelves are full where I shop, and Farmacity has its normal 2x1 offers as well. There seems to have been an element of wanting to create panic in some of these reports.

 

[carride]

Here is the archived version which I meant before. The local perfil one is the same since Bloomberg and perfil (batimes) collaborate together often.

Argentines Queue for Fuel as FX Shortage Strands Tankers at Sea

Perhaps with the new "Export Dólar" available to all exports, they will bring in more dollars this month. I do not understand why they do not make that permanent or even better to encourage more export. ...yes yes I know, "it will create inflation"

 

[mageesa]

Big lines at the petrol station on Scalabrini in Palermo tonight (2 blocks long at 11:30 at night); grumpy drivers getting very irate. Never saw this down here before, anyone else?

 

[Tilda]

In Villa la Angostura, on the border with Chile, we are feeling the same effects. We are in the last part of the chain and we are feeling the pressure of the exchange rate with Chile. Here, the local YPF have implemented a 4000 pesos limit for foreign license plates. Still the queue is all the way to Centro de Convenciones and in Barrio Norte up Chos Malal. In tourist season it’s always like this. But we are supposed to be in low season now.

By the way, 4000 pesos is enough to take a normal car from here to Entre Lagos without problems.

 

[FrankPintor]

Big lines at the petrol station on Scalabrini in Palermo tonight (2 blocks long at 11:30 at night); grumpy drivers getting very irate. Never saw this down here before, anyone else?

I passed by several petrol stations today, in Av. Libertador, Belgrano, Villa Urquiza, and Coghlan. Several were closed, some had only Diesel, and those open had long queues.

On the positive side, according to the Buenos Aires Herald: "...the fuel supply system experienced “a series of events” that “pushed it to its limits.”

The first event was an “extraordinary level of demand” that took place in the last 15 days due to the mid-October long weekend, the elections, and the beginning of the agricultural sowing season. The second was a higher-than-usual dependence on fuel imports due to scheduled shutdowns at some refineries. The third event was a situation of overdemand which, according to the companies, was caused by a shortage expectation.

“Argentina’s fuel production and supply infrastructure is robust,” the communiqué said. “Argentina produces crude oil and biofuels in large quantities and has a refinery park large enough to produce more than 80% of the domestic demand for gas and diesel".

Hopefully it will be back to normal soon.

 

[Redpossum]

 

[sts7049]

lol.

and now you have massa threating the oil companies for this. same ol K stupidity

 

[steveinbsas]

Has anyone been to a grocery store today?

Was there any tuna left on the shelves?

Rice?

Eggs?

Chorizo?

Any panic buying?

Fewer taxis in the street?

 

[steveinbsas]

PS: Even if there are long queues at the grocery store today, I strongly urge everyone to be sure to buy whatever they need for at least the next two weeks, if they don't already have it.

There will probably be much less of what you want by the end of the day.

If the fuel shortage lasts more than a few days, there will most likely be much less food available, and with each passing day, it could become increasingly "risky" to walk in the street with bags or a changito full of groceries.

It may not be wise to wait until tommorrow when "everyone" has gone to work.

I imagine many will stay "home" tomorrow with one purpose in mind, to go to the grocery store to stock up....if it isn't too late.

Hopefully, there will be a "solution" by the middle of the week.

If there isn't, all hell could break lose when the grocery stores cannot restock.