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    What You Pay at the Pump

      2007 Canadian Average Pump Price
    Data Source: MJ Ervin & Associates
    Petro-Canada Refining & Marketing Profit

    Here’s a breakdown of the factors that determine the price you pay at the pump. For more information about these factors, please visit our Pump Talk blog.

    Taxes

    • Taxes are one of the largest components of Canadian retail pump prices.
    • In 2007, Canadians paid an average of 32.5¢ tax on every litre of gasoline. That represents a little over $16 on a 50-litre fill.
    • Taxes on gasoline vary by province, which often leads to regional differences in pump prices.

    Learn how much tax you pay on gasoline 

    Crude Oil

    • Crude oil is a globally traded commodity and the base product used to refine gasoline and diesel fuel.
    • Canadian producers have no influence over world prices because our domestic crude oil production is a small fraction of total global production.
    • Crude oil prices are influenced by changes in global supply and demand, current inventory levels and geopolitical events.

    Refining and Marketing Costs

    • This portion of the price covers all costs of operations — such as the costs of refining crude oil into gasoline, transportation and distribution charges, as well as all marketing and operational expenses at the retail level.

    Profit

    • The three per cent profit represents the overall 2007 Petro-Canada marketing and refining profit.

    Wholesale Gasoline

    • Wholesale gasoline is bought and sold on commodity markets, much like crude oil.
    • As gasoline is a commodity that flows freely between Canada and the U.S., Canadian wholesale prices — the prices retailers pay — are tied closely to U.S. commodity prices.
    • Any significant disruption in supply in the U.S., a market 10 times the size of our Canadian market, can impact wholesale prices throughout North America.

    Learn more about wholesale commodity prices 

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