Romania will keep a 25% reduction in diesel excise duty until Oct. 31, extending temporary relief for transport operators and other businesses. The decision 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. Romania introduced the measure to limit the impact of higher fuel costs on transport companies and other businesses. Diesel is described as particularly important for road freight, with sustained price increases able to feed into logistics costs and ultimately consumer prices.
Excise duty review process under Law No. 162/2026
The mechanism operates under Law No. 162/2026. The Finance Ministry reviews international wholesale indicators alongside domestic retail prices every two weeks when deciding whether the reduction should continue. The latest assessment supported maintaining the existing level for another two weeks.
That review recorded a 47.78% increase in Platts diesel benchmark quotations. Over the same period, average Romanian retail diesel prices rose by 35.6%. The difference between the wholesale and retail figures was cited as a factor behind extending the current excise reduction rather than increasing it further.
Temporary relief tied to international and domestic price indicators
The government extended the existing relief instead of raising it further. The measure remains temporary and will continue to be reassessed against both international and domestic fuel-price indicators. For Romanian businesses, the policy provides partial protection from the international oil-price shock.
The approach also shifts part of the adjustment away from fuel users toward the state budget. As a result, the duration of elevated global prices is described as increasingly relevant for fiscal as well as inflation policy.
