French energy giant cuts petrol prices after government pressure        

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said the two firms 'listened to me'.

French oil major Total Energies and shipping giant CMA announced further measures to cut prices, following government pressure for companies to do more to help consumers cope with soaring inflation.

Total Energies said it would  reducefuel prices at its service station across France from September until the end of the year, while CMA said it would cut shipping fees by €750 per container for imports to France from Asia.

Unlike such countries as Britain and Italy, France has refrained from imposing a so-called supertax on companies whose profits have surged as the energy crisis and supply chain snags have pushed prices sharply higher.

Instead, the government has called on companies, such as Total Energies and CMA, to voluntarily help customers cope.

Total Energies said it would  lower prices by 20 cent per litre until November, then by 10 cent per litre for the rest of the year.

It and CMA said they wanted to support French households at a time of surging cost of living. They did not disclose the effect of the moves on their accounts.

The announcements came as French lawmakers passed a bill lifting pensions and temporarily freezing rent rises. French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said the two firms had "listened to me". 

- Reuters