Price-response asymmetry in domestic wholesale and retail diesel 2 markets in Peru

Resumen

This paper tests and confi rms the hypothesis that retail and wholesale Diesel 2 prices respond more quickly to increases than to decreases in wholesale and crude oil prices, respectively. Among the possible sources of this asymmetry, we fi nd: production / inventory adjustment lags, refi ning adjustments, market power of some sellers, searching costs, among others. By analyzing price transmission at different points of the distribution chain, this paper attempts to shed light on these theories for the Peruvian oil industry. Wholesale prices for Diesel 2 show asymmetry in responding to crude oil price changes, which may refl ect inventory adjustment effects. Asymmetry also appears in the response that retail prices give to wholesale price changes, presumably indicating short-run local market power among retailers or the existence of searching costs..