The Dominican Republic will keep prices unchanged for gasoline, both types of diesel, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and natural gas during the week of September 12 to 18, even though the 90-day price freeze announced on June 13 has already expired.
To sustain the prices, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MICM) said it will allocate RD$1,631.5 million in subsidies, RD$337 million more than the RD$1,294.5 million spent during the week ending this Friday.
The increase amounts to roughly 26% in a single week and coincides with a fresh rise in international oil and fuel prices caused by supply disruptions linked to the conflict in the Middle East.
Subsidy breakdown
The largest subsidy will go to premium diesel, known locally as gasoil optimo, at RD$117.28 per gallon. The government will also contribute RD$108.93 for each gallon of regular diesel, RD$55.21 for regular gasoline, RD$36.68 for premium gasoline and RD$26.90 for LPG.
A week earlier, the highest subsidy stood at RD$101.91 per gallon, also for premium diesel. With the new allocation, the MICM said total fuel subsidies spent in 2026 now exceed RD$32,000 million.
The 90-day period announced by the government ran from June 13 to September 11. Without formally announcing a new freeze window, authorities decided to keep the same prices in place until at least September 18.
Prices held steady
Premium gasoline will continue to sell at RD$341.10 per gallon and regular gasoline at RD$310.50. Premium diesel will remain at RD$293.10 and regular diesel at RD$262.80.
LPG will still be sold at RD$135.20 per gallon and natural gas at RD$43.97 per cubic meter. These are the six fuels the government considers to have the greatest impact on household consumption and transportation.
Fuels excluded from the freeze
The freeze does not cover all fuel derivatives. Jet fuel, known as avtur, will rise by RD$14.47 to RD$317.97 per gallon, while kerosene will see the week's largest increase, RD$15.80, reaching RD$359.00 per gallon.
Fuel oil #6 will go up RD$5.12 to RD$172.85, and fuel oil with 1% sulfur content will rise RD$5.98 to RD$203.39 per gallon.
Pressure from international oil markets
The decision comes during a week of heavy pressure on international energy markets. The U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude climbed back above US$100 per barrel, while Brent crude, the international benchmark, traded above US$105 on Friday. Both have gained more than 9% over the week, driven by fears of further supply disruptions in the Middle East.
Adding to that pressure, the price of diesel in the United States exceeded US$6 per gallon for the first time. The national average stood at around US$6.06 on Friday, compared with roughly US$3.71 a year earlier.
Tensions have intensified because of attacks on oil transport routes near the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea. Before the current conflict, the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman that serves as one of the world's most important oil chokepoints, carried about a fifth of the oil and liquefied natural gas consumed daily around the globe.
Sharper subsidies than a week ago
Last week, when the government allocated RD$1,294.5 million to keep the main fuels frozen, the subsidy for regular gasoline was RD$42.68 per gallon and for regular diesel RD$94.31 per gallon. Those contributions have now risen to RD$55.21 and RD$108.93, respectively.
To calculate next week's prices, the MICM used an average exchange rate of RD$59.13 per dollar, based on figures published by the Central Bank.
