The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has urged the country's service stations to apply without delay reductions in the price of gasoline, with the objective of passing on to the consumer the drop recorded in the cost of a barrel of crude oil. At the same time, he has warned that he will not allow speculative practices and has lashed out against the high taxes on fuel in states like California.
"Gasoline sellers must lower their prices IMMEDIATELY!", Trump stated through his social network, where he pointed out that they are too high considering that oil is now at 68 dollars a barrel and continues to fall.
"Sellers must react quickly to this statement and do what they know is right: LOWER YOUR PRICES FOR OUR GREAT AMERICAN PEOPLE!", insisted the White House tenant, warning that "speculation will not be allowed, which is totally illegal."
In this context, the president has stressed that, if gasoline companies disregard his call, "big problems are coming!", so he has suggested that they should start setting the price "around 2.50 dollars per gallon." Furthermore, he has asked California to stop applying such high taxes on gasoline.
"Soon the tax will be higher than the product itself, and the United States will not tolerate it, nor will the people of California, who are being abused by these ridiculous taxes and by their own Government," Trump stated in reference to the Democratic governor of California, Gavin Newsom.
Meanwhile, the Brent crude oil barrel, a benchmark in Europe, stood this Tuesday above 73 dollars, above the levels prior to the outbreak of tensions with Iran. For its part, West Texas Intermediate (WTI), a benchmark for the US market, was trading slightly above 70 dollars.