Why Is Gas So Expensive?!?! Explaining the State of Fuel in Utah

Gas prices will always be a topic of discussion in the United States due to the politics surrounding the issue, and Southern Utah is seeing the most expensive gas prices compared to the rest of the state. 

According to AAA, the average for a gallon of unleaded in Southern Utah is somewhere in the $3.30 range.  

The only exceptions are Washington and Iron County with the former listed at $3.16 per gallon, and $3.06 per gallon for Iron County.  

Many Americans who voted for President Donald Trump in the most recent election are wondering why gas prices aren’t immediately getting cheaper, and as usual with politics, it’s much more complicated than one might think. 

The issue is the outsourcing of oil to make the gas, but President Trump is focusing on self-efficiency in energy production, so what’s the deal? 

One of the main issues is the trade war between the U.S. and its neighboring countries of Canada and Mexico. President Trump issued a 25% tariff on goods coming from Canada and Mexico, as well as a 20% tariff on Chinese goods. 

This means the economy in America is expected to get a bit rough as this trade war raises prices across the country. It isn’t just gas as many of the country’s fruit and vegetable intake came from Mexico, and much of the country’s lumber came from Canada. 

So, where do fuel prices fit into this conundrum? Well, Canada and Mexico also provided crude oil for the U.S. among the other goods. Meaning the tariffs are making the energy crisis more noticeable in the states. 

The Ukraine-Russia war is also affecting gas prices, and the conflict in Gaza isn’t helping either. We’ll have to see how President Trump and other countries respond to this trade war as politics continue to conquer your wallet.