Gasoline sales fell 7.4% year-on-year, with super-grade down 7.8% and premium down 6.4%. Diesel volumes contracted 5.1%, driven by a 7.0% drop in the common grade and a 1.9% decline in the premium product. The downturn affected all major oil companies operating in Argentina. YPF, which holds 55.7% of the national market, recorded a 5.2% decline, its steepest since February 2025. Shell posted a 7.0% drop and Axion fell 3.8%.
The regional impact was highly uneven. Tucumán led provincial declines with a 22.4% fall, followed by Jujuy at 16.4% and Salta at 15.9%. Eight provinces in total recorded double-digit declines. Among the 24 jurisdictions, only La Pampa, Neuquén and Santiago del Estero registered positive results, with gains of 0.7%, 0.5% and 0.2% respectively. Neuquén’s relative outperformance is attributed to ongoing Vaca Muerta oil and gas activity.
Buenos Aires province, the largest market, sold 476,124 cubic meters in July, down 5.5% year-on-year. Córdoba, the second-largest market, recorded 157,212 cubic meters with a 1.6% decline, while Buenos Aires city fell 9.5%. Service station operators cited reduced vehicle use for leisure, constrained purchasing power and shifting consumer habits as drivers of weaker demand. The data reflects broader economic stagnation affecting transportation fuel consumption across Argentina.
This article was curated and published as part of our South American energy market coverage.
