CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — The Pacific Region Army and Air Force Exchange Service announced Monday that fuel prices were to increase in Japan, Okinawa, South Korea and Guam effective March 1.

In Japan and Okinawa, customers will see a hike of 10 cents, as the price for a gallon of mid-grade fuel will rise from $1.966 to $2.061.

Diesel prices there will go up from $2.006 to $2.054.

Drivers in South Korea will see unleaded fuel prices rise from $1.856 to $1.955 per gallon.

Premium unleaded will increase from $2.057 to $2.147 and diesel fuel will go from $2.007 to $2.045.

Guam drivers will see pump prices go from $1.869 to $1.969 for unleaded fuel; premium will jump from $2.079 to $2.169.

AAFES determined the new prices by using the U.S. Department of Energy average prices from each of the last four weeks.

The prices were added together, divided by four, then each area’s incremental dispensing costs were added in.

AAFES said the dispensing cost for Guam is $0.10375; in South Korea the cost is $0.09104; and in Japan and Okinawa, the cost is $0.05828.

In September AAFES announced the gas-pricing policy — which let prices be adjusted monthly rather than annually to match the DOE average — for Japan and Okinawa.

Guam and South Korea already were on a monthly pricing schedule.

The change in policy Oct. 1 in mainland Japan and Okinawa standardized how AAFES sets gasoline prices in its overseas markets.

Before the Japan policy was implemented, only AAFES’ gas prices in Okinawa, Japan, Turkey and Azores were set for the entire year.

All overseas AAFES stations now change prices monthly based on the prior month’s Department of Energy average, to provide consistency in the way the policy is applied, AAFES officials have said.

AAFES buys gas for Okinawa and Japan on an annual contract that locked in a wholesale price of $1.38 on Oct. 1.

For Guam and South Korea, AAFES’ wholesale cost fluctuates month to month.

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