Monitoring and focus reports
As part of our role under the Fuel Industry Act 2020, the Commission publishes quarterly reports based on our analysis of information provided by fuel companies each quarter.
We use retail pricing and an estimate of price discounting to show changes in importer margins over time.
Publishing this data improves awareness of the factors influencing prices for consumers and encourages competition between fuel companies to ensure consumers get a fair deal at the pump.
In response to the conflict in the Middle East, the Commission is now publishing additional monitoring reports. The report provides an overview of retail fuel prices, as well as movements in the costs of importing fuel into New Zealand.
Fuel price monitoring – Middle East conflict
The Commission is publishing additional regular fuel price monitoring reports in response to the conflict in the Middle East and the impact on global fuel prices. Retail pricing information is sourced from a 3rd party provider and is based on crowd-sourced information about prices at all retail stations. This reporting is distinct to the quarterly reports we produce, with different data sources and periods which means they are not directly comparable.
This report is published fortnightly. The next report will be on 1 October 2026.
Latest report
Quarterly monitoring reports
These reports are based on the Commission’s analysis of information provided by fuel companies each quarter, and provide insights into the competitive performance of engine fuel markets in New Zealand.
These reports have been published since November 2022, with information including:
- volumes and prices as reported by importers in both the wholesale and retail market
- volume-weighted and regional level cost estimates importer costs and average pricing
- terminal gate pricing and wholesale market activity
Note: This is the second quarterly report the Commerce Commission has produced since the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East. The conflict has pushed the landed cost of imported fuel to levels not seen for many years. Diesel margins (or spreads) were significantly squeezed during the initial phase of the conflict period and have subsequently recovered in the second quarter of 2026.
This cost recovery after the initial period of decreased margins generated a significant increase in the average importer margin for diesel from -1% to 11% of the average board price. While the proportional increase from -1% to 11% is material, 11% is broadly consistent with historical levels. We recognise that there are additional costs to supply fuel to consumers, so the margin should not be considered to reflect the profitability of importing, storing and distributing fuel for sale.
The Commission will continue to monitor and analyse fuel prices to ensure margins remain in line with historic levels.
Explanatory note
The Commerce Commission has developed an importer cost model using a range of data sources to support its assessment of competition in engine fuel markets. The model has been developed in consultation with industry experts and fuel market participants.
Read more on our Fuel quarterly monitoring report explanatory note.
Previous reports
Reports older than the previous calendar year.
Focus reports
In addition to the quarterly reporting, the Commission occasionally publishes focus reports that supplement the analysis of quarterly information disclosure data.