"...in France the price at the pumps has only increased maybe 10%, not the 60% I've read about in the states..."
That's easily explained. The actual cost of the gasoline - crude oil, refining, transport, oil company & dealer profit, etc - are pretty much the same on both sides of the Atlantic. So if here, a year ago you had $1.50/gallon gas, then maybe $1 was cost, $.50 was tax. Add $.75 to the cost, and you have $2.25/gallon - big percentage change, right?
But in France, you had say $5/gallon gas, of which $1 was cost, $4 was tax. Increase the cost by the same $.75, and you have $5.75/gallon. Not a big percentage increase...
That's easily explained. The actual cost of the gasoline - crude oil, refining, transport, oil company & dealer profit, etc - are pretty much the same on both sides of the Atlantic. So if here, a year ago you had $1.50/gallon gas, then maybe $1 was cost, $.50 was tax. Add $.75 to the cost, and you have $2.25/gallon - big percentage change, right?
But in France, you had say $5/gallon gas, of which $1 was cost, $4 was tax. Increase the cost by the same $.75, and you have $5.75/gallon. Not a big percentage increase...
