Fuel shortages across France remain uneven but persistent, with diesel particularly affected as prices reach record highs and supply chains remain under pressure.
Despite the announcement of a temporary ceasefire in the conflict in the Middle East resulting in the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, average diesel prices reached a record high of €2.375 per litre on Wednesday (April 8).
Assuming the ceasefire agreement holds, experts still say it could take some time for supply chains to return to normal.
The map below shows diesel shortages as of April 7 at 12:30.
The patchwork nature of shortages reflects distribution rather than a nationwide lack of fuel.
A large proportion of affected stations are operated by TotalEnergies, which recently revised and extended its fuel cap until the end of April.
This has concentrated shortages at specific sites rather than across entire regions.
Logistical constraints - including transport, storage and local demand spikes ahead of the Easter holidays - were also contributing factors.
In total, 15.9% of service stations in France reported being out of diesel on Tuesday (April 7), compared with 17.2% a day earlier.
The worst hit region is Paris where 34.8% of service stations in the city have used up their supply of the fuel. Other badly affected regions include the Territoire de Belfort (31.6%), Puy-de-Dôme (25%), Hauts-de-Seine (23.9%), Ariège (22.9%), Haut-Rhin (22.8%) and Indre-et-Loire (22.8%).
The government insisted on Tuesday that shortages were largely a logistical issue, and with the improvement in diesel availability seen between Monday and Tuesday (from 17.2% to 15.9%), resupply efforts are expected to see shortages drop as the week goes on.
Below is a list of diesel prices as of April 8.
Diesel under strain
The fuel shortages have been overwhelmingly linked to diesel, which remains the dominant fuel in France.
Around three-quarters of transport fuel consumption relies on it, leaving the country exposed to international supply shocks.
Unlike petrol, which is mostly refined on French soil from crude oil, the majority of diesel fuel is imported into France. This can exacerbate costs during a shortage.
Prices have surged in recent weeks, breaking all-time record costs.
The primary cause is the disruption of global supply routes following the conflict involving Iran, notably the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz, a key transit point for oil products.
While the opening up of the Strait of Hormuz is likely to improve the availability of diesel on global markets, it may be some time before things return to normal.
Oil tanker operators are cautioning that the re-opening of the strait, through which around one-fifth of global crude oil supplies are transported, will not result in an immediate inflow of oil to the global supply chain.
With the ceasefire limited to two weeks, and uncertainty over the long-term future of the strait following this, the situation remains precarious.
At the same time, the reopening seems to have averted the risk of government rationing of the country's diesel supply.
The French government had already ruled out any immediate restrictions, pointing to strategic reserves of around 100 million barrels. A partial release has already been committed through international agreements.
In theory, it is permitted to fill up jerrycans and other authorised containers equalling to 333litres of petrol and 1,000litres of diesel at a service station at a time, but in reality this is all but impossible for most households due to the 50litre capacity limit on transporting the fuel.
Department prefects can pass temporary measures to limit this number - in 2022, the prefect in Pyrénées-Orientales imposed a 30-litre fuel limit per vehicle, with using jerrycans to purchase and stock up on additional fuel being completely prohibited.
