MONTERREY, Mexico (AP) ? In an unprecedented move, Mexico's state-owned oil monopoly will lower gas prices and compete head-on with U.S. filling
stations along the 2,000-mile border.
President Vicente Fox, who made the announcement during a visit Thursday to the Pacific coast state of Guerrero, said the discounted gas will be
available after Dec. 1 at nearly 500 gas stations within about 10 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border.
With regular gasoline selling for more than $2 a gallon in Mexico, tens of thousands of Mexicans routinely cross the border to buy their gas in the
United States.
The gap between U.S. and Mexican prices has steadily widened since 1995, when the Mexican government started raising the price each month. Petr?leos
Mexicanos ? known as Pemex ? faces no competition within Mexico due to a ban on foreign-owned oil companies.
Pemex now will set the price of gasoline in each major border city according to the weekly price of regular unleaded gasoline on the U.S. side. Thus,
Tijuana's gas will be sold for the same amount as gas in San Diego, while Ciudad Ju?rez's will be set to equal prices in El Paso, Texas.
The move comes after Pemex slashed prices by 40 percent in Ciudad Ju?rez in October and saw sales bounce back in the border's largest city. Before the
price cut, many Ju?rez gas stations ? privately owned franchises of Pemex ? were close to going broke.
Pemex officials, who met with border gas providers on Thursday, also asked stations to improve service to help win back consumer trust.
Many border residents say they are leery to return to Mexican gas stations, where some attendants have been caught tampering with meters on pumps to
make extra money.
The boost in sales could help government coffers. The government receives one-third of its income from oil-related sales, and the industrialized
northern border region ? even with U.S. competition ? has accounted for 10 percent of those sales.
Officials also hope to stop smugglers who sell U.S. gas clandestinely from their homes.
Re: Gas Prices
Diklang - 11-23-2002 at 06:57 PM
I remember years ago when living in San Diego I'd go into TJ for gas, booze and haircuts. Boy, things have sure changed.Dave - 11-24-2002 at 10:29 AM
Instead of haircut I think he meant to say trim. Usage as a noun or verb is up to your imagination.;-)Keri - 11-24-2002 at 05:52 PM
Was that nasty? Anonymous - 12-2-2002 at 11:43 PM
Tijuana, Mexico, Dec 02, 2002 (EFE via COMTEX) -- The consumption of gasoline along Mexico's northern border with the United States rose between 10
and 15 percent on Monday after lower prices went into effect, authorities announced.
Pemex spokeswoman Marcela Campillo said that all along the border demand for gasoline had risen as Mexican prices were aligned with lower prices in
U.S. border towns.
In some cases, such as in San Luis Rio Colorado in Sonora state and Tijuana in Baja California, there was insufficient gasoline supply to meet the
increased demand after prices were lowered on Sunday.
In border towns, the price of Magna gasoline, which is the most widely consumed, was about 4.27 pesos ($0.42) per liter, almost one peso ($0.10) below
the price in the rest of Mexico.
Campillo told journalists that the lower price along the border "will be maintained for as long as necessary."
The Mexican government decided to lower gasoline prices in the region to the U.S. price level because many Mexican citizens living close to the border
cross the frontier to buy U.S. gasoline.
Haircuts?
Diklang - 12-3-2002 at 12:34 PM
Hey! I still need to get trimmed occasionly. :moon:mrchuck - 12-4-2002 at 08:04 PM
Big Deal ?? That's still 1.58 dollars a gallon, and ONLY IF you get a gallon dispensed for the Dollar paid ! San Diego gas is running 1.38 a gallon
presently.
The Govt still screwing their populace.BajaNomad - 12-4-2002 at 11:13 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by mrchuck
San Diego gas is running 1.38 a gallon presently.
