Gasoline (petrol) is the dominant light-vehicle transport fuel outside of diesel-favoring markets, traded globally against octane-based grades. Demand is strongly consumer-driven and seasonal in many markets (summer driving season in temperate climates), and gasoline blending — combining base gasoline components with octane boosters like MTBE or ethanol — is itself a significant part of the trade, not just a downstream retail activity.
Grades & Specifications
- **RON 91** — a lower-octane grade common in markets with older vehicle fleets or lower-compression engines. - **RON 95** — the most widely used "regular" grade across much of Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. - **RON 98** — premium/high-octane grade for performance vehicles and markets with strict emissions-linked octane requirements. - **Avgas 100LL** — a specialized aviation gasoline for piston-engine aircraft, an entirely separate specification and supply chain from road gasoline. Octane rating (RON — Research Octane Number) is the primary spec buyers reference; vapor pressure (RVP) is a secondary but commercially important spec that varies seasonally and by climate, since summer- and winter-grade gasoline are formulated differently.
Quality Standards & Inspection
Most markets reference either EN 228 (Europe) or ASTM D4814 (US) as the base specification framework, with local variations for octane grade availability and seasonal RVP limits. Lead content (now essentially zero in commercial trade, following the global phase-out of leaded gasoline), sulfur, and benzene content are standard test parameters alongside octane rating itself. Independent inspection follows the same pattern as diesel and other petroleum products — SGS, Intertek, and similar surveyors handling both quality sampling and quantity measurement.
Main Producing & Exporting Regions
The Middle East, Asia (South Korea, India), Europe, and the United States all export meaningful gasoline volumes, making this one of the more geographically diversified petroleum product markets rather than being dominated by a small number of exporting regions. The United States Gulf Coast is a particularly significant export hub given its large refining base relative to a domestic market that also imports certain grades regionally.
Packaging & Logistics
Bulk vessel movement for cargo-scale trade, ISO containers for mid-size shipments, and road tankers for retail-network distribution — logistics broadly mirror diesel. One added consideration specific to gasoline is vapor pressure/volatility handling: gasoline is more volatile than diesel, so tank and vessel handling procedures (vapor recovery, loading temperature) carry additional operational and safety considerations that should be reflected in shipping instructions.
Key Contract Considerations
Grade (octane rating) and seasonal RVP specification must both be locked precisely in the SPA — a cargo that meets summer-grade RVP but is delivered into a winter-grade market (or vice versa) can be legally unsaleable at the destination even though the octane rating is correct. As with other refined products, pricing benchmark and window need to be explicit, and independent load-port inspection is standard practice before the buyer commits to payment release under the agreed payment terms. ---