In fact, Canada's prices are among the lowest of the G-7 countries. On average, Canadian consumers pay about 13 cents per litre more in gasoline taxes than Americans.
Averages are the only fair and statistically sound comparison.
It would be misleading, for example, to use recent low prices in Vancouver, where marketers have been engaged in a long and unprofitable price war, to claim that Canadian prices are lower than American prices. American consumers seem willing to pay a higher price for branded versus independent or unbranded products, while Canadian consumers are much more price-sensitive. In Canada, a retailer whose price is as little as half a cent above the competition will lose significant sales volume. U.S. consumers, however, will regularly pay prices as much as 10 cents a gallon above the lowest-available price across the street. All rights reserved.