China may cut retail fuel prices: analysts

BEIJING - China will likely cut gasoline and diesel retail prices next week, as crude oil prices have dropped close to the price adjustment threshold, analysts said Saturday.

The price cuts could be between 300 yuan ($47.62) and 350 yuan per tonne, analysts said. It would mark the fourth cut in fuel prices this year.

The 22-day moving average price of Brent, Dubai and Cinta crude on Saturday was 3.86 percent lower than when China last adjusted its fuel prices, according to data released by Chem99.com, a major oil industry service provider.

Analysts at Chem99.com said they expect fuel prices to drop as early as Wednesday.

The country last raised the price of gasoline by 550 yuan per tonne and diesel by 540 yuan per tonne on Sept 11.

Under China's oil product pricing system introduced in 2009, domestic fuel prices may be adjusted when the average prices of Brent, Cinta, and Dubai change by more than 4 percent over 22 working days.