Morocco’s diesel prices to fall just 20 centimes after a 3.54-dirham surge
After six consecutive increases since July, diesel prices in Morocco are finally expected to come down. A 20-centime-per-litre cut is due to take effect Thursday evening, October 15. The limited relief comes after motorists faced a cumulative increase of 3.54 dirhams in three months.
A saving of 10 dirhams on a 50-litre fill-up. That is what the diesel price cut expected Thursday evening in Morocco, at around 23:50, amounts to. Small consolation for motorists: since mid-July, the same fill-up has cost them nearly 177 dirhams more after a succession of increases. According to Le360, the price of a litre of diesel is expected to fall by 20 centimes, while petrol prices will remain unchanged.
On Bladi.net : Moroccan diesel tops 16 dirhams a litre, adding nearly 175 dirhams to a 50-litre fill-up since July
In Casablanca, diesel, currently priced at between 16.10 and 16.18 dirhams depending on the retailer, is expected to fall to between 15.90 and 15.98 dirhams. Prices may differ slightly in other cities, as retailers are free to set their own prices.
To gauge the impact of this decrease, it is worth going back to mid-July. At the time, a litre of diesel cost around 12.61 dirhams at several stations in Casablanca. On July 16 came the first unwelcome surprise: an additional 69 centimes. In early August, motorists were hit with another, much steeper increase of a full dirham.
The series continued on August 17 with another 65 centimes, followed by 6 centimes on September 1. Two weeks later, the price per litre rose by a further 34 centimes. Finally, on October 1, an 80-centime increase pushed diesel above the symbolic 16-dirham mark.
In total, the six price adjustments amount to an increase of 3.54 dirhams per litre, according to the tally published Thursday. Even after the announced cut, the cumulative extra cost will remain close to 3.34 dirhams. For a 50-litre fill-up, that still means paying 167 dirhams more than in mid-July.
Diesel remains more expensive than petrol
In another unusual development, diesel, long cheaper than petrol in Morocco, has now overtaken it at several stations. Even after the expected cut on Thursday, it is still set to cost between 27 and 39 centimes more per litre than unleaded petrol in Casablanca.
This reversal comes amid severe pressure on international diesel supplies. Russian export restrictions, refinery disruptions and transport difficulties have driven up the price of refined products.
The situation is beginning to change, however. Moscow has partially eased its restrictions since October 10, following an agreement with Washington. The Kremlin confirmed Thursday that it had resumed diesel exports, while acknowledging that these volumes would not be enough to fully stabilize markets.
Morocco is among the destinations for the first shipments. According to Reuters, a tanker loaded on October 13 at the Russian port of Primorsk is carrying around 40,000 tonnes of very-low-sulfur gasoil and is heading to the Kingdom. This shipment of Russian diesel to Morocco comes after several weeks of restrictions on Moscow’s exports.
On Bladi.net : Moroccans urged to leave cars at home for one hour on October 18
The resumption of international deliveries does not, however, immediately translate into an equivalent drop in pump prices. Moroccan retailers sell fuel bought earlier, and its cost also depends on transport, insurance and supply conditions.
The 20-centime cut announced Thursday comes just three days before a citizen-led mobilization against rising fuel prices. On Sunday, October 18, a group is calling on Moroccan motorists to voluntarily leave their vehicles parked for one hour, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., to demand a price cap and greater transparency about retailers’ margins.
