Overview
- The government will add ¥5.10 per liter from December 11, taking the subsidy to ¥25.10 and matching the provisional gasoline tax rate.
- The step completes a transition that has increased support roughly every two weeks since early November to avoid abrupt price swings.
- Payments go to oil wholesalers, and retail pump prices typically reflect changes after several days to about a week.
- METI reports the national average for regular gasoline at ¥163.70 per liter as of December 8, a five‑week slide to the lowest level in four years and two months.
- Officials plan to end the subsidy as the provisional tax is abolished on December 31, with little net change expected at stations before and after the shift.