US gasoline prices fall below $4 per gallon... For the first time in two and a half months

New York = Yonhap News) Correspondent Kim Yeon-sook = U.S. gasoline prices fell below an average of $4 per gallon for the first time in about two and a half months.

According to the American Automobile Association (AAA) on the 18th (local time), the average national gasoline price on this day was $3.999 per gallon.

It has been 79 days since March 31 ($4.018) that the national average price of gasoline in the United States fell below $4 per gallon.

In the United States, where there is a high dependence on private vehicles, the gasoline price of $4 per gallon is recognized as a psychological baseline that allows consumers to feel the high prices and change their consumption behavior.

This price drop is due to the stabilization of international oil prices.

The closing price of futures for August delivery of Brent crude oil, a global benchmark, recorded around $79 per barrel on this day, and the July futures price of U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil also fell to around $76 per barrel.

However, US gasoline prices are still about 25% higher than the average of $3.188 a year ago.

There are also large regional differences. The average price of gasoline in California is $5.642 per gallon, and in Hawaii it is $5.57, which is more than $5. States such as Texas and Indiana are maintaining prices around $3.4.