Temporary diesel excise relief and rate levels
Romania will keep a 25% reduction in diesel excise duty in place until Oct. 31, extending temporary relief for transport operators and businesses. The continuation follows a period in which international fuel-market prices have risen faster than domestic pump prices. The reduced excise level is set at around €400 per 1,000 litres, or approximately €473 per tonne. The fiscal reduction is valued at about €133 per 1,000 litres, or €158 per tonne.
The measure was introduced to limit the impact of higher fuel costs on transport companies and other businesses. Diesel is described as particularly important for road freight, where sustained price increases can feed into logistics costs and then into consumer prices.
Law framework and two-week review process
The mechanism operates under Law No. 162/2026. Before deciding whether the reduction should continue, the Finance Ministry reviews international wholesale indicators and domestic retail prices every two weeks. The most recent assessment showed a 47.78% increase in Platts diesel benchmark quotations. This was compared with a 35.6% rise in average Romanian retail diesel prices.
The difference between the wholesale benchmark increase and the retail price rise supported maintaining the existing excise reduction for another two weeks. The government chose to extend the current relief rather than increase it further.
Ongoing reassessment against fuel-price indicators
The excise cut remains temporary and will continue to be reassessed using both international and domestic fuel-price indicators. For Romanian businesses, the policy provides partial protection from the international oil-price shock. At the same time, it shifts part of the adjustment away from fuel users and onto the state budget.
As a result, how long global prices stay elevated is described as increasingly relevant for both fiscal policy and inflation policy.
