{"text":[[{"start":10,"text":"US lawmakers have proposed suspending federal taxes on petrol and diesel after Donald Trump backed the move amid soaring fuel costs driven by his Iran war. "}],[{"start":19.75,"text":"Josh Hawley, a Republican senator from Missouri, introduced legislation on Monday to pause the levies, which add 18.4 cents to the price of a gallon of petrol and 24.4 cents to the price of a gallon of diesel. "}],[{"start":34.9,"text":"“President Trump has proposed to suspend the federal gas tax and he’s exactly right,” said Hawley. “American workers and families deserve immediate relief and this legislation will do just that.”"}],[{"start":48.45,"text":"The legislation was put forward after Trump earlier on Monday said a suspension of the taxes would be “a great idea”. "}],[{"start":55.6,"text":"“We’re going to take off the gas tax for a period of time, and when gas goes down we’ll let it phase back in,” the US president told CBS News. Any suspension would need to be backed by both chambers of Congress, requiring the support of some Senate Democrats. "}],[{"start":72.1,"text":"Anna Paulina Luna, a Republican Congress member from Florida, said on Monday she would introduce similar legislation this week in the House of Representatives."}],[{"start":81.39999999999999,"text":"The consideration of a “gas tax holiday” comes as Americans struggle with the higher fuel costs triggered by the conflict in the Middle East. "}],[{"start":89.64999999999999,"text":"The Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of global oil supply usually flows, has been largely closed for more than two months, pushing crude prices above $100 per barrel. "}],[{"start":100.49999999999999,"text":"The average US petrol price has risen by more than half to $4.52 per gallon since the war began on February 28. Diesel, a crucial input for American industry, has jumped by a similar margin to $5.64, just shy of its all-time high of $5.82 per gallon. "}],[{"start":121.54999999999998,"text":"Hawley’s bill would suspend taxes on both fuels for an initial 90 days, which could be extended at the president’s discretion."}],[{"start":129.79999999999998,"text":"Proposals to pause the tax have been raised during previous energy shocks, most recently in 2022 when Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine drove prices at the pump to record levels. But the measure failed to win support in Congress despite backing from then-president Joe Biden."}],[{"start":147.6,"text":"While individual states have in the past paused local petrol taxes, a nationwide holiday has never been implemented. "}],[{"start":155.2,"text":"Trump has released record volumes of oil from the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve, eased restrictions on shipping and environmental regulations on fuel in a bid to douse the price rise. "}],[{"start":166.85,"text":"But as the war drags on, his administration has grown increasingly concerned about the fallout from higher fuel prices. It has led to the president’s polling numbers falling to an all-time low."}],[{"start":176.95,"text":"Analysts at the Center for a Responsible Federal Budget have estimated that the federal tax on petrol brings in about $30bn annually, while the diesel levy brings in $11bn. A three-month holiday on both would increase the federal deficit by about $10.5bn."}],[{"start":194.64999999999998,"text":"Bob McNally, founder of Rapidan Energy Group, said suspending the federal tax on petrol would only be of “modest benefit” to consumers if the Strait of Hormuz stayed closed. "}],[{"start":206.09999999999997,"text":"“All this does is break or slow the upwards move in petrol prices — it will only have a marginal impact,” said McNally, a former White House energy adviser. "}],[{"start":215.89999999999998,"text":"The proposal comes as analysts warn that prices of petrol and diesel could soar to record levels within weeks. S&P Global said on Monday that markets were bracing for a “crisis”, with global demand for refined products projected to decline twice as much as during the Great Recession. "}],[{"start":233.2,"text":"Oil processed by global refineries is expected to decline by 5.2mn barrels per day in the second quarter and 2.7mn b/d in the third quarter compared with last year."}],[{"start":244.25,"text":"This would put pressure on prices and cause a sharp pullback in product demand, according to the energy research group. "}],[{"start":251.1,"text":"“Whether you like it or not, demand curtailment may be coming to [a] market near you,” said Karim Fawaz, executive director, fuels and refining, at S&P Global Energy."}],[{"start":271.05,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1778552093_4506.mp3"}