Experts questioned the persistence of the ban on gasoline exports

Alexey Belogoryev commented to TASS on the effectiveness of the ban on gasoline exports to saturate the domestic market and the prospects for using this regulatory mechanism.

The government's decision to ban gasoline exports from September to the end of the year is unlikely to be a permanent measure, moreover, chances are high that it will be canceled in November - December, since the market situation in these months is likely to be stable, experts interviewed by TASS believe.

"It is quite possible (lifting the ban in November - December) in terms of seasonal price declines and if oil companies reasonably ask for it. The government is flexible in its approach to this issue and will act on the situation," Alexey Belogoryev, Research and Development Director at the Institute for Energy and Finance said.

The expert believes that a complete export ban is hardly possible, since for individual refineries, banning gasoline exports, primarily Ai-92, would be too painful a measure and could lead to a decrease in their production, which clearly contradicts the government's goals.

"Export restrictions, strictly speaking, are not the best practice in terms of stimulating production. And it is possible to reliably saturate the domestic gasoline market only by increasing their production at a faster pace in relation to demand growth. This cannot be achieved if the threat of an export ban looms all the time in front of the refinery," he added.