According to the city’s Department of Industry and Trade, some retailers have submitted requests to shorten their business hours because they cannot ensure continuous fuel supplies or sufficient staffing for operations.
Authorities recorded 17 petrol stations that had either temporarily closed or run out of fuel as of March 7.
However, outlets belonging to major distributors that directly import fuel have pledged to maintain stable supplies through the end of March.
The department has urged relevant agencies to inspect compliance with fuel trading regulations, particularly among importers and distributors whose retail stations frequently close or suspend sales due to insufficient supply, as such disruptions could destabilize the market.
Residents refuelling at a station in Hanoi (Photo: Manh Quan).
Domestic fuel prices were sharply adjusted upward on the afternoon of March 7. The price of E5 RON 92 petrol rose by VND 3,780 per litre to VND 25,220 per litre, while RON 95 petrol increased by VND 4,700 to VND 27,040 per litre.
Diesel prices climbed even more steeply, rising by VND 7,200 per litre to VND 30,230 per litre. Kerosene increased by VND 8,490 per litre to VND 35,090 per litre, and mazut rose by VND 3,830 per kilogramme to VND 21,320 per kilogramme.
Across the two most recent price adjustment periods within the past three days, E5 RON 92 has increased by a total of VND 5,700 per litre, while RON 95 rose by VND 6,890 per litre. Diesel increased by VND 10,960 per litre, kerosene by VND 15,630 per litre, and mazut by VND 5,640 per kilogramme.
Fuel demand has also surged. Retail sales at stations operated by Petrolimex’s Hanoi subsidiary rose by about 30 percent between March 4 and March 7 compared with the daily average in February.
Sales also increased by 10 percent at the Military Petroleum Corporation and by 29 percent at Hanoi Petroleum Petrochemical Joint Stock Company during the same period, according to local authorities.