Fuel price increases show no signs of stopping/ Diesel hits new records, is Albania’s supply at risk?

The price of diesel and gasoline on the domestic market is approaching the record levels recorded during the war in Ukraine. According to a survey by Monitor, diesel was being sold today at retail outlets for 226 to 229 lekë per liter, up from the previous price of 219 lekë per liter. Diesel has increased by 7 to 10 lekë per liter.

Gasoline prices have also increased. From the previous price of 205 lekë, it began being sold today at 216 to 219 lekë per liter. Gasoline has risen by 11 to 14 lekë per liter.

Following the outbreak of the conflict in the Middle East, the price of diesel rose sharply, fluctuating between 219 and 224 lekë per liter, compared with around 175 lekë per liter before the conflict began.

However, this is the largest increase in fuel prices since 2022, when Russia’s aggression against Ukraine began.

In March 2022, the price of diesel reached a record level of 265 lekë per liter for just one day, while for several consecutive days diesel was sold at 230 to 235 lekë per liter.

The increase in diesel prices on the domestic market came after an immediate rise in oil prices on foreign markets on September 10.

Two days ago, Brent crude reached a maximum of USD 110 per barrel, up from the previous price of USD 100. Today, oil is trading on the exchanges at USD 104 per barrel.

A substantial increase was also recorded in the Platts price, which is used as a reference for customs clearance of imports.

The final Platts price reached USD 1,619 per ton, an increase of USD 165 per ton from the previous price. (On September 10, 2026, the price of Platts HCIF diesel reached USD 1,571.5 per ton, while together with a premium of USD 30 per ton and the corresponding calculation, the final price reached approximately USD 1,619.13 per ton.)

The immediate increase in prices on international markets was influenced by the conflict in Yemen, which caused a decline in ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, where 20% of global production is transported, as well as by difficulties in passing through the Red Sea.

Operators: The situation is more serious than ever, global oil supplies are at risk

Market operators say that, with the main pipeline in Saudi Arabia and the Red Sea blocked by the Houthis, prices could reach unprecedented levels on Monday. They add that, together with the situation in Ukraine, this is the most serious situation in history. This raises the risk that, for the first time in history, there may be no product at all on the market, as global producers are making plans to completely halt exports, while over the past seven months commercial and strategic reserves have fallen close to zero.

Operators add that, in this situation, the government must seriously reflect and face reality, since this situation cannot be resolved through boards or populist interventions involving websites that publish prices. Albania remains the only country in the region that has not taken measures to ease the fiscal burden, which is also the highest in the region. On the contrary, it has benefited by collecting more revenue in the budget from higher-priced diesel.