The roles reversed
The temporary reduction in fuel excise duties has been lifted in Germany on 1 September, but not yet in the Netherlands. As a result, the petrol is now cheaper here than at the eastern neighbours, which means that the roles of tank tourism have been reversed.
Some German motorists have been driving to the Netherlands since the beginning of this month to be able to refuel more cheaply. Because fuel taxes in Germany went up on 1 September, petrol in the Netherlands is now cheaper than there, says Ewout Klok, chairman of the Tank Stations Association (BETA). In the Netherlands, excise duties were temporarily reduced as of 1 April to compensate for the sharp rise in oil prices. Where the reduction was initially to apply until December 31, it was later extended until the middle of next year.
“We are now seeing a reverse tank tourism,” said the chairman. Germany had announced a reduction in excise duty on 1 July, but it only lasted two months. “But excise duties have gone up again and now you see that petrol is cheaper in the Netherlands than in Germany,” says Klok.
According to him, Germans do not come here to the same extent as the Dutch previously went to Germany to fill their tank. “The price difference is not so great that it is interesting for many Germans. But for residents of the border region it does pay off,” says the chairman. He could not say exactly how much the price difference is. It only concerns petrol drivers who come to refuel here, because the diesel prices are about the same.
Incidentally, petrol in Belgium is still considerably cheaper than in the Netherlands. People from Brabant in particular still cross the border en masse for a refueling. “Nothing has really changed there,” says Klok.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl