The Dominican government has announced a significant increase in fuel prices effective March 14-20, 2026, implementing a five-peso-per-gallon hike for both gasoline and diesel products while maintaining current pricing for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
According to the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and MSMEs (MICM), premium gasoline will now retail at RD$295.10 per gallon, with regular gasoline priced at RD$277.50. Diesel products have similarly increased, with regular diesel reaching RD$229.80 per gallon and premium diesel climbing to RD$247.10.
The most substantial increases affect specialized fuels, with avtur fuel jumping by RD$67.37 to RD$302.40 per gallon and kerosene rising by RD$73.20 to reach RD$343.80 per gallon.
This pricing adjustment reflects ongoing volatility in global energy markets, primarily driven by escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Recent conflicts involving Iran have raised concerns about potential disruptions to oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime passage handling approximately 20% of global oil exports.
To mitigate the impact on consumers, the government has allocated a substantial subsidy of RD$1,189.8 million for the coming week. This intervention aims to cushion domestic markets from even steeper price increases that would otherwise result from international market pressures.