According to the latest data, petrol sales in Estonia have dropped by 9% in June. The drop was the most rapid in regions bordering Latvia. It is assumed that Estonian residents travel to Latvia to purchase fuel, as reported by Estonian ERR.
«The sales volume at the beginning of June reflects the trends of the last two to three months when the sales of gasoline have fallen by 7-10 percent,» said CEO of the Estonian Oil Association Mart Raamat.
98th brand petrol sales have dropped from 44% to 38% in June, whereas the sales of the cheaper 95th brand petrol have increased.
The biggest drop has been observed in Võru and Valga, which border Latvia.
Data for May indicate that petrol sales volumes have gone down 13%.
Raamat told ERR this is largely because of Latvia’s «consumer-friendly fuel tax policy», which means that gas prices are much lower there when compared to Estonia and from 1 July onward the difference will likely reach 15-20 cents.
«The data show that Estonian taxes have started to travel to Latvia again […] We forecast that fuel tourism will increase in the border counties,» he said.
Petrol prices in Estonia are currently record-high.