Cross-border fuel shopping and distance: Evidence from Albania and Montenegro
利用2020-2024年加油站销售数据，研究阿尔巴尼亚和黑山边境附近消费者如何因价格差异而跨境购买柴油和汽油，发现柴油替代效应在距边境20公里内显著。
This study examines how consumers respond to price differentials by analyzing cross-border fuel purchasing between Albania and Montenegro. Using station-level sales data from 2020–2024, we find clear evidence of substitution for diesel: when Montenegrin prices fall relative to Albanian prices, diesel sales at nearby Albanian stations decline, with the strongest effects within 20 kilometers of the nearest Montenegrin station. For gasoline, the evidence is mixed, with some indication of cross border shopping within 20 kilometers. This difference potentially reflects the fact that trucks, whose route often crosses this border, are flexible in their choice of where to buy fuel.