SANTO DOMINGO — The Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MICM) has announced new adjustments to domestic fuel prices, hiking costs for two popular fuel grades in response to persistent upward pressure from global commodity markets. The price changes, which go into effect for the week spanning October 10 through 16, will see a five Dominican peso (RD) increase per gallon for premium gasoline, pushing its retail price to RD$358.10, per the ministry’s official press statement.
Another notable hike targets optimal diesel, which will rise by 12 pesos per gallon to settle at RD$318.10. In a move designed to shield consumers from broader cost shocks, the government is leaving three key fuel products unchanged: regular gasoline will hold at RD$317.50 per gallon, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) will remain at RD$135.20 per gallon, and regular diesel will stay at RD$270.80 per gallon. To lock in these frozen prices for essential fuels, the Dominican government has allocated RD$1,525.4 million in targeted consumer subsidies, the ministry confirmed.
The price adjustments stem from ongoing disruptions in global refined fuel markets that have pushed costs far higher than domestic authorities initially projected. In its statement, MICM officials explained that production cuts at major refineries that supply the Dominican Republic have kept prices for refined products — particularly optimal diesel — at extraordinarily high levels in international markets. Currently, refining costs are disconnected from global crude oil barrel prices, amplifying the cost pressure on domestic markets, the release noted.
The unplanned global price volatility has also created severe fiscal strain for the Dominican government, which has been relying on subsidies to soften the blow of global increases for domestic consumers. Minister of Finance and Economy Magín Díaz outlined the scale of the fiscal challenge, noting that the government originally budgeted just RD$10 billion for fuel subsidies for all of 2026. But amid the ongoing international crisis and extreme market volatility, the government has already spent more than RD$38 billion on subsidies, with projections indicating total annual spending could surge to RD$50 billion if current global price trends hold. As of press time, accumulated fuel subsidy spending in 2026 to protect consumers from the full impact of global price hikes totals nearly RD$38,200 million, the document confirmed.