Petroleum Product Wholesalers NAICS 424720

Apr 23, 2026 - EPA Issues Emergency E15 Waiver

• In March, the EPA announced it's granting an emergency fuel waiver allowing E15 (gasoline with 15% ethanol added) to be used during summer driving, Energy Marketers of America reports. The agency’s temporary fuel waiver creates both opportunities and compliance challenges for petroleum product wholesalers. By allowing a single national gasoline pool with E10 to E15 blends and relaxing volatility rules, the policy simplifies supply logistics, improves fuel availability, and may reduce distribution costs. Year-round E15 sales could also expand product offerings and margins for wholesalers. However, the waivers introduce significant regulatory complexity. Federal action does not override state authority, requiring wholesalers to verify state level compliance individually, especially in areas with unique fuel standards like California. This increases administrative burden and legal risk. Operationally, wholesalers must ensure storage and dispensing systems are compatible with higher ethanol blends, update labeling, and coordinate with regulators.
• On December 1, the average retail price of regular gasoline fell to $2.98 per gallon, according to the US Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) latest Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update. Adjusted for inflation, the Dec. 1 price was the lowest average US gasoline price since February 2021. EIA credited the decline in the pump price to the falling price of crude oil, which typically accounts for about half of the retail gasoline price. On Dec. 1, regular gasoline prices ranged between a low price of $2.55 per gallon on the Gulf Coast and a high price of $4.03 per gallon on the West Coast. Industry watchers expect gas prices to continue to fall over the next few weeks. While the Trump administration has been quick to take credit for falling gas prices, experts point to a market-based explanation for the decline.

• The Energy Information Administration is forecasting lower US crude-oil production as drilling activity slows, The Wall Street Journal reported in June. The agency said it expects crude production is likely to fall over the next 18 months as producers cut back on drilling in response to lower oil prices. In its latest monthly Short Term Energy Outlook, the EIA forecast output to slip to 13.3 million barrels a day in Q4 2026 from a record 13.5 million barrels a day in Q2 2025, citing a decline in active drilling rigs. Oil services company Baker Hughes reported there were 442 rigs drilling for oil in the US during the first week of June, the fewest since October 2021, per WSJ. However, since the EIA issued its outlook oil prices have spiked about 18% to date following attacks by Israel and the US on Iran. If sustained, higher crude prices could encourage more US drilling.
• Producer prices for petroleum and petroleum products merchant wholesalers rose 1.7% in February compared to a year ago, after rising 2.3% in the previous February-versus-February annual comparison, according to the latest US Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Producer prices for wholesalers are at near record highs, driven by rising input costs and increasing distribution margins simultaneously. In February, the average pump price for regular motor gasoline was $2.91 per gallon, up 3.5% from January 2026 and down 6.8% from February 2025, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Employment by the industry grew 2.7% YoY in January, while the average industry wage at petroleum and petroleum products merchant wholesalers declined 3% over the same period to $32.86, BLS data show.