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Canada gas prices fall after removal of carbon tax

Canada gas prices fall after removal of carbon tax

The government removed the consumer carbon tax that was in place since 2019 on Tuesday, resulting in a sharp drop of gasoline prices across Canada.

Mark Carney, Canada's new Prime Minister, signed an order removing the Justin Trudeau era consumer carbon taxes on his first official day in office. He declared that the decision will help Canadians who are struggling to make ends meet. The Conservatives had been campaigning against the tax for years.

GasBuddy, a fuel market tracker, reported that fuel prices in eight provinces fell by more than six cents a litre after taxation was officially ended on Tuesday.

The data shows that the national average price for gasoline in Canada dropped from 155 cents to 143.6 cents on Wednesday. New Brunswick experienced the biggest decline of 15 cents a litre. British Columbia and Ontario also saw significant drops.

GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan wrote in an email to GasBuddy on Tuesday that "the drops continue widening."

According to Susan Bell, a Rystad Energy executive, the carbon price for gasoline between April 1, 2024 and March 31, 2025 was 17.6 cents per kilogram. Prices should therefore fall by this amount.

The Canadian Fuels Association has said that it anticipates a reduction of 20 cents per gallon in gasoline prices. This will translate to yearly savings for consumers of over C$500.

GasBuddy's data shows that gasoline prices in Quebec rose by 1.9 cents a litre on February 2, making it the only province in Canada with a carbon tax.

Bell stated that lower fuel prices may encourage some Canadians not to fly to the United States, but to drive to their domestic destinations instead.

She added that the trade war between Canada and the U.S. may increase Canada's unemployment, which will impact on fuel consumption.

On Wednesday, Donald Trump is expected to announce reciprocal tariffs with Canada and other trading partners.

The Canadian Fuels Association noted that it was difficult to predict the impact of the repeal on fuel demand.

A spokesperson for the group stated that "there are too many other factors affecting demand, especially around the direction of the global economy in the context of the U.S. Tariffs of April 2," a spokesperson said. Reporting by Shariq KHan in New York Editing Bill Berkrot

(source: Reuters)