Gasoline Pricing in Canada

Canadians rely on gasoline to fuel transportation, making it is an essential commodity, so the ever-changing price of gasoline gets a lot of consumer attention.

Rapid changes in gasoline prices — particularly upward ones — and the dynamic fluctuation of prices lead many motorists to question the basis of the prices they pay.

Consumers Council of Canada seeks to provide consumers with information to improve their knowledge about the supply chain and market forces influencing gasoline prices and the meaning of cost and “benchmark” prices reported as news.

Gasoline consumption is commonplace in Canadian life, but the global supply chain that brings it to market is complex.

• Gasoline is made from crude oil, the world’s most traded commodity.
• Refineries buy crude oil and convert it into a range of petroleum products including gasoline.
• Subsequently, the gasoline produced passes through distribution businesses that deliver it to service stations for sale to motorists.

Each link in the supply chain tries to recover its costs and make a profit, with varying levels of success.

To learn more about how gasoline gets priced and reaches your fuel tank, read the Council’s e-book Gasoline Standards, Measurement and Pricing in Canada.