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The entire petroleum marketing industry continues to face great challenges with weak margins, supplier consolidation and government regulation. One of the greatest challenges facing the jobber class of trade in [...]

Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has approved the sale of gasoline containing ethanol. Sales of the blended fuel will be allowed after a ministerial ordinance is revised [...]

The CEC/CARB draft report (see related brief p8) targeting reduction of gasoline/diesel fuel use 15% below today's level presumably would rely in part upon mandates and/or huge taxpayer subsidies for [...]

California Energy Commission/California Air Resources Board staff recommendation on reducing petroleum dependence assumes clean-diesels could take only 10% of the car market by 2020, while 'altfuels' vehicles could take a [...]

THE US SENATE recently approved a measure calling for a doubling of the use ethanol by 2012. The amendment to the national energy bill also calls for a ban of [...]

SIGMA's 'mission' is to work toward a free and unencumbered marketplace for the fully competitive marketing of transportation fuels. This unique mission sometimes gives SIGMA a different perspective and differing [...]

US mandates for cleaner gasoline and better auto gasoline mileage in 2004 should push up imports and prices. If this results in shortages, auto industry impacts would be severe.

Changes in aromatics consumption and refining is expected with the implementation of the European Union?s Auto-Oil 2 regulations in 2005.

Media outlets in the Philippines are reporting that the nation's Congress will move ahead with new standards for gasoline in 2003, despite the efforts of refiners, fuel importers, and some [...]

On Oct. 2, Pennsylvania governor Mark Schweiker signed into law Pennsylvania's new tougher penalties for those convicted of gasoline theft, commonly known as 'drive-offs.' With the new law, Pennsylvania will [...]

On July 25, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee unanimously approved a bill SIGMA has been working on for months. SIGMA and NACS worked closely with the committee to [...]

The business of prognosticating is fraught with pitfalls. The biggest pitfall is the need to distinguish between long-term trends and short-term developments. Looking back, for example, we can see clearly [...]

New York state lawmakers have passed a bill aimed at preventing below-cost sales of motor fuels, which Gov. George Pataki is expected to sign. 'We're very pleased that the legislature [...]

The government plans to eliminate low-octane gasoline from the country, restricting the sale of gasoline to middle- and high-octane quality in an effort to raise revenue and limit consumption, the [...]

Lawmakers in New Hampshire have beefed up the state's Consumer Protection Law in an effort to maintain a competitive environment and stop big-box retailers from attempting to gain control of [...]

CLEAN FUEL regulations are gaining attention in California and New York. The National Petrochemical & Refiners Association (NPRA) has requested court permission to file a brief supporting California's attempt to [...]

U.S. Senators recently agreed to triple the ethanol used in gasoline and to ban MTBE, leading to a nationwide ban in four years. The compromise assures that a package of [...]

California Gov. Gray Davis recently announced a one-year delay on banning the pollutant MTBE from the state's gasoline supplies, explaining that he wants to avoid price hikes and shortages as [...]

Starting March 1, the state of Ohio began issuing 'vertical' licenses to drivers under the age of 21, following a successful campaign for the licenses by the Ohio Association of [...]

In early April, the major issue of concern to marketers under consideration by Congress was proposed energy legislation. It is likely that the issues involved in that battle will not [...]

The Socialist Left Party wants to force the addition of 5% biofuels into diesel and gasoline, supposed to reduce emissions. Agriculture Minister Lars Sponheim also supports a biofuels push, according [...]

The sides in the increasingly heated debate on the need for state and federal legislation concerning below-cost sales of motor fuels fall in one of two camps: capitalism or capitalizing. [...]

The Board of Directors of the National Association of Convenience Stores voted late on Feb. 28 to pass a resolution that opposes the below-cost sale of motor fuels where the [...]

A mandate requiring American drivers to buy 5 billion gallons of ethanol a year, more than triple today's consumption, will increase the costs of gasoline production and distribution, jeopardize overall [...]

On Feb. 11, the United States Environmenta1 Protection Agency signed a final rule for winter-to-summer transition of RFG, with trade associations like SIGMA reporting that the 'news is good news.' [...]

BP started supplying sulphur-free unleaded gasoline and sulphur-free diesel at 18 filling stations in Edinburgh in February. The fuels, with a sulphur content of less than 0.001%, are made at [...]

Measures to bar operators from underselling gasoline at retail locations were dealt a double blow in February when both a national initiative and a state bill were defeated only days [...]

THE SENATE HAS reached agreement on measures that would sharply increase the use of ethanol in gasoline while phasing out methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE), an additive blamed for water pollution. [...]

Except for a ban on leaded gasoline, ADB's $200 million loans for Metro Manila Air Quality Program aren't tied to laws requiring a cut in aromatics and benzene in gasoline, [...]

Missouri c-store operators are pushing a state measure that would repeal the state law requiring labels on any gas pumps that contain an ethanol mix. C-stores would prefer to get [...]

Provided by the Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers of America King Solomon and the baby There's a story in the Old Testament about how King Solomon resolved a dispute between [...]

British PM's Top Science Advisor Pushing Ban on Diesel, Gasoline: Prof. David King, UK Prime Minister Tony Blair's top science advisor, now favors a total ban on the sale of [...]

* The date by which zero-sulphur transport fuels -- defined as containing less than 0.001% sulphur -- must be used throughout the EU has been brought forward by two years, [...]

The European Council voted in mid-December to make the sale of sulphur-free (less than 10 parts per million) gasoline and diesel mandatory in Europe by the start of 2009. The [...]

AN UNUSUAL COALITION of business and labor interests has urged US Senate leaders to oppose legislation mandating ethanol's use in gasoline, saying it would hurt consumers. The coalition--which included refiners, [...]

The European Parliament voted to back plans for transition to sulfur-free transportation fuels by 2008. Tax incentives, diesel fuels, and the political problems with a fuels directive are discussed.

In October, the United States Environmental Protection Agency completed and transmitted a report to President Bush on the state and local 'boutique' clean-fuel programs, which was called for in the [...]

The European Commission's proposed 5.75% substitution of gasoline and diesel with 'biofuels' by 2010 won't solve Europe's shortage of diesel fuel and would fail to deliver a net environmental improvement, [...]

House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-III., has endorsed bipartisan legislation that would create national standards for gasoline by pre-empting state Jaws and creating three fuel types as opposed to more than [...]