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April 12, 2000 10:00 AM, EDT

Canadian truckers may get some relief this summer from spiking fuel costs in the form of a tax break.

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For months, the Canadian government and trucking industry have been at a standoff over skyrocketing fuel prices. Big rig drivers demonstrated by the hundreds in several cities, and trucking associations pressured the federal and provincial governments for relief from high fuel prices, which have increased more than 30% in the past year.

Last week, the federal government blinked.

The nation’s finance minister, Paul Martin, said he would be willing to lower federal fuel taxes if the provinces would do the same. Until his statement, the government’s only response to the crisis was the announcement of a $600,000 study to help people better understand how domestic retail and wholesale gasoline markets work.

For the full story, see the Apr. 10 print edition of Transport Topics. .