Gasoline prices in Iowa have crept up slightly in the past week, but some states are seeing pump prices jump as much as 30-cents since the start of April — and some blame the new international tariffs.
Brynna Knapp, spokeswoman for AAA-Iowa, says the changes we’re seeing in the state are common for the season.
“This is typical for the March-April timeframe,” Knapp says, “as demand for gas generally goes up in the spring and we switch into our summer blend from our winter blend of gas.”
Knapp says the tariffs President Trump imposed last week on imports are -not- to blame for the latest gas price hikes. She says tariffs on crude and refined oil were excluded from the latest round of tariffs.
“So no tariffs on Canadian or Mexican petroleum, and no tariffs on European gasoline cargoes that come into the U-S,” Knapp says, “but it’s too early for us to comment on if they will impact gas prices directly.”
AAA says the current average gas price in Iowa is $3.09 a gallon, up from $3.02 a week ago and from $2.99 a month ago. The current national average is $3.25.