American Drivers Are Last Hope for Global Fuelmakers Ahead of Tenuous Travel Season
- Gasoline demand, while still strong, is flashing warning signs
- More refineries are coming online, further pressuring market
A customer refuels a car at a gas station in San Francisco.
Photographer: David Paul Morris/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
The global fuelmaking industry is pinning its hopes for summer demand on American drivers. That’s an iffy bet.
Although US gasoline usage appears to be exceeding year-ago levels as cheaper prices at the pump encourage households to hit the road, cracks have started to emerge in the world’s biggest economy.