New Delhi, August 15, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Centre on Saturday reduced export duties on petrol, diesel and aviation turbine fuel (ATF), bringing the petrol levy down to nil and lowering the applicable charges on diesel and ATF.
According to the government order, the export duty on petrol has been reduced to zero from ₹3.5 per litre. The total levy on diesel has been cut to ₹24 per litre from ₹25.5, while the ATF export duty has been reduced to ₹19.5 per litre from ₹22.
The revised rates apply to petroleum products cleared for export. The Finance Ministry has previously clarified that such changes do not affect excise duties applicable to fuel sold for domestic consumption.
The latest revision comes less than two weeks after the Centre had increased export duties on all three petroleum products on August 3. At that time, the petrol export duty was raised to ₹3.5 per litre from ₹2.5, while the diesel levy was increased to ₹25.5 per litre from ₹15.5. The ATF export duty was raised to ₹22 per litre from ₹14.5.
The total diesel levy comprises two components — Special Additional Excise Duty (SAED) and Road and Infrastructure Cess (RIC), rather than SAED alone.
The Centre reviews export duties on these petroleum products every fortnight. The rates are determined based on average international prices of crude oil, petrol, diesel and ATF recorded since the previous review.
Depending on the product and the rates notified for each review period, the duties may be imposed through SAED, RIC or a combination of both.
The current export-duty framework was introduced on March 27, 2026, amid a sharp rise in international crude oil and refined fuel prices linked to the West Asia conflict.
The increase in global prices had created greater incentives for refineries to sell petroleum products in overseas markets. Export duties were consequently imposed to safeguard domestic availability of diesel and ATF.
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