Romania has increased its temporary diesel excise reduction to 25% for the first half of September. The change is linked to higher international fuel prices that could lift domestic transport and inflation costs. For 1–15 September, excise duty on standard diesel will be around €400 per 1,000 litres, about €133 below the normal level.
The previous two-week period was covered by a 20% reduction. The latest adjustment followed a sharp rise in the international reference prices used under Romania’s excise adjustment mechanism. Platts diesel quotations increased by 45.65%, while the relevant standard average price rose by 25.45%.
Excise adjustment mechanism and frequency
Romania introduced the adjustment mechanism to avoid setting fuel-tax relief at a single level during periods of volatility in international markets. The excise adjustment is recalculated every two weeks. It can move in either direction depending on the reference-price inputs.
The government is focused on how diesel price changes feed through into freight, logistics and consumer inflation. The 25% reduction is described as a temporary stabiliser rather than a structural change to Romanian fuel taxation. Future relief levels will depend on international prices and domestic pump costs.
If global diesel markets remain volatile, transport companies may face repeated two-week changes in excise relief.
