Petroleum retailers warn Bahamian gas could climb above $6.50 a gallon as Middle East conflict drives import costs

Wed, 13 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Bahamian petroleum retailers warned this week that soaring fuel prices are set to drive a broad wave of price increases across the country, with gasoline forecast to climb above $6.50 per gallon. One retailer told the Tribune plainly that “nothing is going to be cheap” if the Middle East conflict continues to push international fuel markets higher.

The retailers’ warning is the third cost-of-living signal in a single news cycle. The Central Bank flagged that 2026 growth could “significantly erode” on protracted conflict pricing. The FNM Opposition cited Ministry of Finance data placing public sector debt at $13.149 billion at end-June 2025, with joblessness at 10.8 per cent and youth unemployment at 20.9 per cent. Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis told voters this week that Bahamians “need not fear electricity bill increases in the short or medium term” despite rising oil prices — a claim the petroleum retailers’ forecast complicates.

Petroleum-Retailers on The Tradewinds Brief

Petroleum retailers warn Bahamian gas could climb above $6.50 a gallon as Middle East conflict drives import costs