War in Iran: Information hub

Impact on EU road transport: latest indicators

Fuel prices

+29%

diesel increase across EU

Direct margin compression for all operators

Transport costs

+8%

spot rate increases already observed

Smaller operators at insolvency risk

Supply chain

30–50%

maritime rate surge

Intra-EU sourcing may boost road freight

Energy & industry

2 yrs

of freight contraction

AdBlue costs rising (gas-dependent)

Inflation & economy

9.2%

peak inflation reference

Weaker purchasing power → less freight demand

Trade rerouting

nearshoring potential

May boost intra-EU corridors over time

How governments can help

To ease the impact on transport operators providing critical services to communities and businesses across the region, governments should:

Release oil reserves to help stabilise fuel prices
Reduce fuel taxes, which often represent a large share of the pump price
Facilitate driver visas to allow foreign drivers to transit countries more easily
Open borders without requiring trailer body swaps, simplifying operations and lowering transport costs

National responses to the energy crisis

Fuel prices actions of governments per country
Country	Shortages	Measures	Crude oil release (million barrels)
Albania	None	Margin control for LEK 12/L
Argentina	None	Brent buffer by local supplier from 1 April to 15 May, limiting prices fluctuation (taxes and exchange rates still apply)
Australia	Sustained	50% reduction from 1 April to 30 June Road toll removed for trucks from 1 April to 30 June 20% of national petrol and diesel emergency reserves released
Austria	None	Reduction by EUR 0.05 , starting 1 April until 31 December 2026. (coming) no more than 3 increases per week + margin control for - EUR 0.05/L
Belgium	None		5.6
Bosnia and Herzegovina	None
Brazil	Temporary	Petrobras maintaining artificially low domestic diesel price (67-74% below international parity). Effective cap via state oil company pricing, not legislation. Subsidy covers fraction of real cost. R$4B diesel import subsidy programme (April-May only): R$2B federal + R$2B states.
Bulgaria	None	-7 Stotinki/L on diesel Caretaker Gyurov package upsized to EUR 125M
Canada	None	Federal fuel excise tax suspended until 7 September
Croatia	None	Margin cap for distributors until 20 April
Chile	None
Cyprus	None
Czechia	Temporary	-1.939 to bring to lowest EU allowance (0.33) on excise duty, cap on retail margin (about 2.50 CZK/L) until 30 April
Denmark	None		1.26
Estonia	None
Finland	None
France	Temporary	Task force to monitor price development EUR 70 million for SME for April 2026 TotalEnergies price cap at EUR 2.25/L until 30 April	14.5
Germany	None	Task force to monitor price development As of 1 April, no more than one increase per day until 15 June	19.7
Greece	None	Subside at the pump for diesel before VAT until 31 May. Margin cap for refinery and retailer, at EUR 0.05 and EUR 0.12 respectively
Hungary	Temporary	Excsise duty reduction to EU minimal level and price cap only for Hungarian vehicles until 1 May Fuel price capped HUF 615, only for Hungarian vahicles.
Ireland	None	Scheme rising from 7.5 cent to 12 cent per litre until 31 July. EUR 505 million package with farmers and fisheries.	1.6
Italy	None	Reduction by EUR 0.2 for 20 days Highway prices reduced by -EUR 0.05/L until 22 April Task force to monitor price development
Latvia	None	Excise duty reduction until 30 June
Lithuania	None	Excise duty reduction until 15 June
Luxembourg	None
Norh Macedonia	None	-DEN 4/L until 2 May
Malta	None
Mexico	None
Montenegro	None
Netherlands	None
Norway	None	Excise duty reduction until 1 September
Poland	None	Specific price levels to be set by Ministerial Regulation (rozporządzenie). Fines up to PLN 1M for violations. VAT from 23% to 8%, until 30 April
Portugal	None	Refund scheme cancelled any benefit for transport operators / Third consecutive reduction (0.32607, then 0.31163, then 0.28537) -EUR 0.1/L for up to 15000L for trucks > 35T and buses > 22 seats until 30 June
Romania	None	Refund of EUR 0.17/L from 1 April to 31 December Margin cap for distributors until 30 June
Serbia	None	Excise duty reduction until 24 April
Slovakia	Temporary
Slovenia	Temporary		30
Spain	None	Refund scheme cancelled any benefit for transport operators TVA from 21% to 10%, until 30 June
Sweden	None	Excise duty reduction until 30 September
Switzerland	None
United Kingdom	None	Reduction maintained