Diesel prices surge up to 13,8% at distributors, putting pressure on costs.

The average price of fuels sold by distributors to gas stations increased in the first week of March 2026, with diesel showing the largest increases in all regions of the country. The data is part of a survey by the Brazilian Institute of Planning and Taxation (IBPT), based on the analysis of approximately 93 electronic invoices for fuel transactions in all Brazilian states.

The study analyzes the prices charged by distributors between March 1st and 8th, 2026, and seeks to identify whether the variations recorded at the wholesale level are being reflected in the final consumer prices at gas station pumps.

According to the president of the Superior Council of IBPT, Gilberto Luiz do Amaral, the international scenario has a direct influence on the recent behavior of prices. “The war in the Middle East has impacted the entire Brazilian oil market, with effects felt a few days after the start of the attacks. Distributors readjusted their prices, taking into account the reserves they had to subsidize the replenishment of their stocks. However, the variation in the increase practiced by distributors is not reflected equally at the pumps of gas stations.”

Diesel fuel leads the price increase in the country.

Diesel was the fuel that showed the largest price increases during the analyzed period. Additive-enhanced S10 Diesel registered a national average increase of 8,91%, equivalent to approximately R$ 0,55 per liter. Regular S10 Diesel showed an increase of 8,70%, about R$ 0,52 per liter.

The Northeast region saw the largest increases, with a rise of 13,87% in Additive S10 Diesel and 12,96% in Regular S10 Diesel, followed by significant variations also in the Midwest, where Regular S10 Diesel rose 10,82%.

The survey also shows that other important variations occurred in the S500 diesel line, whose regular and premium versions showed increases of 6,53% and 6,08%, respectively.

According to Amaral, the increase in diesel prices has the potential to generate broad economic effects, mainly due to its central role in national logistics. “The US-Israeli war against Iran has caused an increase and instability in fuel prices worldwide, resulting in a direct impact on the cost of these inputs for the consumer. Brazil is no different. Prices began to rise with the start of the conflict.”

Gasoline prices also see an increase.

Gasoline also showed an upward trend at distributors, although at a lower level than diesel. Regular gasoline registered a national average increase of 2,06%, equivalent to approximately R$ 0,11 per liter. The largest regional variation was observed in the Central-West region, with an increase of 4,73%. Premium gasoline showed an average increase of 1,71% nationwide. The South region was the only one that registered a slight decrease during the period, with a reduction of 0,95%.

According to Amaral, the dynamics of the fuel supply chain in Brazil help explain the regional differences observed in the survey. “Distributors buy fuel from refineries or import it, make the mandatory blend of biofuels, such as biodiesel in diesel and ethanol in gasoline, and resell it to gas stations. The cost of transportation from distributors to the various regions of Brazil explains the geographical disparities, such as the high prices in the North and the extreme variations observed in the Northeast.”

Ethanol follows the opposite trajectory.

Unlike fossil fuels, hydrous ethanol showed a national average decrease of 0,66% in the first week of March. The largest reductions occurred in the South (-2,68%) and Southeast (-2,46%) regions, while the Central-West (-0,30%) and Northeast (-0,27%) also registered more moderate declines.

The only exception was the North region, which showed an increase of 2,41% in regular ethanol and 0,43% in premium ethanol.

Regional differences

Regional analysis reveals distinct behaviors between fuels and Brazilian regions:

• Northeast: highest diesel price increases in the country.
• Central-West: largest increase in regular gasoline
• South and Southeast: largest reductions in ethanol
• North: the only region with an increase in ethanol.

According to IBPT Director Carlos Alberto Pinto Neto, the effects of rising fuel prices tend to spread throughout the economy. “Diesel is the fuel that has risen the most in the first days of March, followed by gasoline. As they are the most consumed, the impact on the supply chain is automatic, putting pressure on transportation costs and, consequently, on products that depend on road logistics,” he concludes.