COUNTY businesses have written to chancellor Gordon Brown MP demanding an immediate cut in fuel tax.
They a sliding scale of fuel duty to smooth the effect of world price fluctuations.
Chris Harvey, of the Chamber of Commerce Hereford and Worcester, said: "The letter outlines how business and industry are suffering from the high fuel prices. Rural areas, farmers and freight operators are the hardest hit due to poorer transport infrastructure and greater distances involved.
"However, it's not just a transport issue, as many firms use oil or oil-based products. Higher oil prices reduce business competitiveness in the UK market and also abroad.
"If the French government lowers oil duty, the gap between their prices and our own will widen, reducing British competitiveness still further."
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