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Over a year ago, Liquid Petroleum Gas or “butaneâ€￾ standards were put into law requiring specific butane and propane mixes. Â Under the law, the maximum approved propane content in Commercial mixtures is 70% propane. 

But, still, 90% LPG mixes continue to be sold on the market – with the sanction of the Bureau of Standards – which is contravening its own laws. Â The problem is that government regulations just can’t bring the Central American importers to heel – we mean BWEL, Tomza, Southern Gas and Z-gas. Â Those suppliers say that they can’t source LPG from their Central American parent companies with the mix which is approved for residential purposes: that is 60% propane and 40% butane. 

Well now, after more than a year of frustration, it seems the government is going around them and is trying to set up an LPG regime similar to the one for fuel, where government will import LPG products and then sell it to the Central American companies – since they can’t find the right mix on their own. 

A release from the Bureau of Standards says the Ministry of Trade is trying to secure the supply of LPG from Mexico at what a press release calls, “fair and accurate prices.â€￾ Â The release adds that quote, “the intentuon…is…based on maintaining consistency in the quality…(and) a continuous supply at affordable prices.â€￾ End quote.

An agreement on technical gas was drafted with the Mexicans two weeks ago when Minister of Trade Erwin Contreras and his CEO Mike Singh met with Mexico’s Secretary of Energy and PEMEX gas. 

The release says activities will be initiated in quote, “the very near future.â€￾