Diesel shortage looms

China's service stations are beginning to run low on diesel due to Beijing's March 23 decision to leave diesel prices unchanged at $1.57 a gallon while raising the retail price of gasoline by 7% to $1.66 a gallon, the New York Times reported. The diesel price, allowed to remain constant to avoid irking farmers who use high volumes of diesel to run their tractors for spring planting, have led speculators to hoard the fuel in the expectation of a price increase after planting season, the Times reported, citing a Sinopec spokesman.