Nielmar de Oliveira
Reporter - Agência Brasil

Rio - The announcement by the government that it will reduce the amount of sugarcane-based ethanol added to gasoline from 25% to 20% in order to head off problems with ethanol supply and reduce pressure on its prices will inevitably have a collateral effect: it will mean an increase in gasoline consumption.

Brazil's state-run petroleum giant, Petrobras, stepped into the picture yesterday and announced that it will be able to guarantee gasoline supplies even if there is a rise in consumption. Paulo Roberto Costa, director of Supply and Refining, declared that there will be no problem ensuring that there is enough gasoline for the domestic market. "We will just reduce the amount of gasoline we export," he said.

Translation: Allen Bennett