On the morning of March 9, Nguyen Thi Thu Huyen in Hanoi waited nearly 30 minutes in line but could only buy VND50,000 worth of petrol for her motorbike. The station had set a limit of VND50,000 per motorbike and between VND300,000 and VND500,000 per car.

As a result, she could fill only about one-third of her fuel tank, enough for roughly two days of commuting.

Many other motorists are facing similar restrictions. Phung Quang Thang in Hanoi said he was only able to buy VND300,000 worth of petrol for his car, far below the usual cost of about VND1.3 million to fill the tank when prices were around VND20,000 per litre.

At the same time, panic buying has emerged as people worry about potential shortages.

Some customers have begun filling containers and barrels to store fuel, while others top up their tanks even when they still have enough fuel left.

In Hanoi, authorities reported that 14 petrol stations have temporarily closed while seven others are limiting sales due to supply issues.

Retail fuel businesses say they have little choice but to restrict purchases because supply from distributors has been reduced.

According to Nguyen Xuan Thang, director of Hai Au Phat Company in Lam Dong, fuel retailers are “caught in the middle”.

Normally, each station receives three to four tanker trucks per week, but currently they are receiving only one.

If stations sell fuel without limits, available stock could run out within a few hours, forcing them to close completely.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Industry and Trade said the sudden surge in demand is largely driven by public concerns about rising prices and possible supply disruptions.

In some areas, fuel sales have increased dramatically. For example, in Thanh Hoa, petrol sales have risen by around 80–100% compared with normal levels.

Despite the surge in demand, major suppliers such as Petrolimex and PVOIL said overall fuel supply remains stable, although daily sales volumes have increased by about 50% compared with January averages.

Tam An