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Taxes, cost and demand shifters as determinants in the regional gasoline price formation process: Evidence from Spain

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  • Bello, Alejandro
  • Contín-Pilart, Ignacio

Abstract

This paper examines the pass-through of regional tax changes and spot price variations to regional gasoline prices in Spain. It also analyzes the impact of all major cost and demand shifters that contribute to regional gasoline price formation. To address these research issues, a reduced form price equation using monthly time-series cross-sectional (TSCS) data from January 2004 through December 2008 is estimated. Strong and consistent evidence of full shifting of regional tax changes to regional gasoline prices is found. Gasoline spot price changes are more than proportionally passed through to retail prices. In addition, the empirical evidence shows, on the one hand, that regional gasoline price differences before taxes continue to be quite narrow and, on the other hand, that there is still a margin for larger gasoline price differences among regions. This suggest that “traditional practices” from the monopoly era (i.e. relatively uniform regional gasoline prices) persist after the market has been liberalized, which may have been facilitated by the strong and uniform presence of the major Spanish-based refining companies in the retail sector over the whole country.

Suggested Citation

  • Bello, Alejandro & Contín-Pilart, Ignacio, 2012. "Taxes, cost and demand shifters as determinants in the regional gasoline price formation process: Evidence from Spain," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 439-448.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:48:y:2012:i:c:p:439-448
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2012.05.069
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    5. Drolsbach, Chiara Patricia & Gail, Maximilian Maurice & Klotz, Phil-Adrian, 2023. "Pass-through of Temporary Fuel Tax Reductions: Evidence from Europe," VfS Annual Conference 2023 (Regensburg): Growth and the "sociale Frage" 277655, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    6. Ahundjanov, Behzod B. & Noel, Michael D., 2021. "What’s in a name? The incidence of gasoline excise taxes versus gasoline carbon levies," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    7. Can Erutku & Vincent Hildebrand, 2023. "Carbon tax pass‐through in Canadian retail gasoline markets," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 56(3), pages 940-963, August.
    8. Kaufmann, Robert K., 2019. "Pass-through of motor gasoline taxes: Efficiency and efficacy of environmental taxes," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 207-215.
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    14. Guangyong Zhang & Lixin Tian & Wenbin Zhang & Xu Yan & Bingyue Wan & Zaili Zhen, 2020. "A Study on the Similarities and Differences of the Conventional Gasoline Spot Price Fluctuation Network between Different Harbors," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-25, January.
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