BRUSSELS 

Rising fuel prices continue to cause concern in the Netherlands and neighboring Belgium, with gas station owners reporting increased pressure on their operations, broadcaster NOS reported Wednesday.

In the Netherlands, the advisory price for diesel and gasoline has surpassed €2.50 ($2.88) per liter.

While not all locations have reached those levels, many drivers find it worthwhile to cross the border into Belgium for cheaper fuel.

Despite recent price hikes in Belgium, the difference can be as much as €0.60 per liter compared with Dutch prices.

Diesel prices are proving particularly problematic. The sharp increase has made it financially advantageous for trucks to refuel across the border.

Previously, filling up in the Netherlands was cheaper. The result is long queues at Belgian gas stations.

Raf Terwingen, the mayor of Maasmechelen, a Belgian border town, said traffic congestion has become unmanageable.

"We want to create one-way traffic on the industrial estate. There was already fuel tourism in the past, but since the war and the increased diesel prices in the Netherlands, it has simply become really problematic," he said.

The surge in fuel prices is partly attributed to unrest in the Gulf region. Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for oil transport, has largely been halted, reducing supply and pushing up pump prices worldwide.

In Belgium, fuel sales are subject to a government-imposed maximum price. Long-term agreements with large transport customers, who receive an 8-cent discount per liter, have contributed to financial strain.

Angelo Bruno, the owner of a gas station chain in the border region Bruno Group, said the company has lost €100,000 in recent weeks.

"We are now selling below cost," he said, adding that he is considering closing his gas stations within a few days.

He said the Belgian government must quickly raise the maximum price.

Dutch fuel retailers are also feeling the effect.

Martin van Eijk, the chairman of the Dutch fuel station association Drive, said average sales have dropped 10% to 20%, with border-area stations experiencing declines up to 50%.