Updated: 17 September 2026 la 11:18. Articolul a fost revizuit pentru a reflecta informațiile disponibile la această dată.
Drivers in Romania could pay significantly less for diesel from Sunday, 16 August 2026, after a temporary 20% reduction in the excise duty on standard diesel took effect.
The measure applies from 16 to 31 August 2026 and was activated after a sharp rise in international diesel quotations and prices at the pump.
For more economic news, see The impact of Romania’s VAT increase from 19% to 21%: what every Romanian needs to know, which provides complementary details on this subject.
How much diesel excise duty is falling
The Ministry of Finance set an excise-duty reduction of:
- 560.86 lei per 1,000 litres of diesel;
- equivalent to 0.56086 lei per litre, before VAT.
Following the reduction, the excise-duty rate for standard diesel falls to 2,243.43 lei per 1,000 litres, from approximately 2,804 lei per 1,000 litres before the mechanism was applied.
Diesel could become cheaper by about 68 bani per litre
The excise-duty cut should not be confused directly with a reduction in the final price.
The excise duty falls by about 56 bani per litre, but VAT also applies to the tax component.
Romania’s standard VAT rate is currently 21%.
The indicative calculation is:
0.56086 lei × 1.21 = approximately 0.679 lei per litre
Therefore, if petrol stations pass the tax cut on to customers in full, standard diesel could become cheaper by about 68 bani per litre.
However, this is the theoretical value of the tax impact. The actual price may vary from one filling station to another.
How much you can save on a full tank
For drivers, the difference becomes quite visible when calculated for a full tank.
At a reduction of about 0.68 lei per litre:
- 40 litres: savings of about 27 lei;
- 50 litres: about 34 lei;
- 60 litres: about 41 lei;
- 70 litres: about 48 lei;
- 100 litres: about 68 lei.
For hauliers, logistics companies or drivers covering long distances, the impact could be much more significant.
A company that uses, for example, 10,000 litres of diesel during the period in which the measure applies could gain a theoretical advantage of almost 6,800 lei, if the tax reduction is fully reflected in purchase prices.
Check updated petrol and diesel prices
The excise-duty cut does not mean diesel will have exactly the same price at every filling station. Differences between retail chains and localities may remain significant, and prices can change from one day to the next.
To see how much fuel costs in your area, check updated petrol and diesel prices in Romania directly on InfoBuz.
The dedicated fuel page allows users to compare prices and identify the best available options. This is particularly useful now that the excise-duty cut is starting to be reflected in prices displayed at the pump.
This allows drivers to check whether the tax reduction of about 68 bani per litre is actually being passed on in prices charged in their city.
What diesel cost before the excise-duty cut
Just one day before the measure took effect, on 15 August, standard diesel was sold at the major monitored stations for about 10.67–10.88 lei per litre.
Applying the full reduction of about 68 bani could, indicatively, bring a price of:
10.67 lei → approximately 9.99 lei per litre
or
10.88 lei → approximately 10.20 lei per litre.
The first data available on the morning of 16 August already showed standard diesel below the 10-lei threshold at some stations.
Price-monitoring platforms indicated a national low of about 9.93 lei per litre on that day, while the reported average in the Petrom network was around 9.99 lei per litre.
These figures suggest that the effect of the excise-duty cut is already starting to become visible in the market.
Why diesel will not fall by exactly 68 bani everywhere
The tax cut does not mean that every filling station is required to display the same price immediately.
The final diesel price also depends on:
- international quotations for petroleum products;
- the exchange rate;
- transport and distribution costs;
- existing stocks;
- the commercial policy of each retail chain;
- local competition between filling stations.
For this reason, the reduction at one station may be close to the fiscally calculated 68 bani, while the difference may be smaller at another.
Drivers can check updated petrol and diesel prices in Romania on InfoBuz’s dedicated fuel-price page to compare stations and cities before filling up.
Differences can be checked quickly on InfoBuz’s page for fuel prices in Romania, where available petrol and diesel prices can be compared.
Why the state intervened
The Ministry of Finance activated the mechanism after indicators monitored for the diesel market exceeded the thresholds set by legislation.
Over the period analysed, international Platts diesel quotations rose by 34.13%, while the average pump price increased by 23.01%.
The temporary excise-duty reduction aims to limit the pass-through of these price increases to households and companies.
Diesel has an important impact on the whole economy because it is widely used in road freight transport, agriculture, construction and logistics.
The reduction is valid only until 31 August
An important aspect is the temporary nature of the measure.
The 20% reduced excise duty applies from:
16 August to 31 August 2026, inclusive.
After this period, the market situation will be reassessed, and the excise-duty level may be changed depending on price developments and international quotations.
Therefore, the current fall should not automatically be interpreted as a permanent decrease in diesel prices.
Will diesel fall below 10 lei per litre?
At some stations, this has already happened.
Available data for 16 August indicate a low of about 9.93 lei per litre for standard diesel in Romania.
For many of the major retail chains, the 10-lei threshold is therefore once again within reach or very close.
Developments over the coming days will also depend on the international market. If petroleum-product prices continue to rise, part of the tax advantage may be absorbed by an increase in the price of the product itself.
If the international market stabilises, the excise-duty cut could be far more visible to consumers.
Will petrol also become cheaper?
Not through this measure.
The decision that took effect on 16 August concerns standard diesel, not petrol.
Therefore, drivers who fill up with petrol do not automatically benefit from a similar excise-duty reduction.
Petrol prices will continue to be influenced mainly by international quotations, the exchange rate, taxation and the commercial policies of filling stations.
Conclusion
The 20% reduction in excise duty on standard diesel, which took effect on 16 August 2026, could result in a theoretical final-price reduction of about 68 bani per litre if the tax benefit is fully passed on to consumers.
For a 50-litre tank, savings could reach about 34 lei, and for 60 litres, about 41 lei.
The first prices reported on 16 August already showed diesel below 10 lei per litre at some stations in Romania, although differences between retail chains and localities remain significant.
The measure is valid until 31 August, after which the Ministry of Finance will reassess the market situation.
Read also: Petrol and diesel became cheaper in Romania (21 April 2026): how much they now cost at the pump
Read also: Inflation is falling only on paper: Romanians still pay huge prices on shop shelves
Frequently asked questions about the diesel excise-duty cut
How much has diesel excise duty fallen?
Excise duty on standard diesel was temporarily reduced by 20% from 16 August 2026. The tax reduction is about 0.56 lei per litre before VAT.
How much could diesel become cheaper at the pump?
If the excise-duty cut is fully passed on to consumers, the final diesel price could fall by about 0.68 lei per litre, after including the effect of VAT.
How much can I save on a full tank of diesel?
At a reduction of about 68 bani per litre, the savings would be about 34 lei for 50 litres, about 41 lei for 60 litres and almost 48 lei for 70 litres.
Will diesel cost less than 10 lei per litre?
At some filling stations, diesel may fall below 10 lei per litre, although the price varies depending on the retail chain, locality, international quotations and the commercial policy of each station.
Does the excise-duty cut also apply to petrol?
No. The announced measure concerns standard diesel. Petrol does not automatically benefit from the same excise-duty reduction.
Until when is the diesel excise-duty cut valid?
The temporary excise-duty reduction applies from 16 to 31 August 2026, inclusive. After this period, the tax level may be reassessed depending on market developments.
Why does the price not fall by the same amount at every filling station?
The final price is influenced not only by excise duty, but also by international diesel quotations, the exchange rate, distribution costs, existing stocks and the commercial policy of each retail chain.
