Profit pushes Launceston pump prices: ACCC

Launceston motorists have been paying on average 12 cents per litre more for petrol than buyers in Australia's five major cities, the consumer watchdog says.

Greater profit margins - in some cases more than 10 cents per litre higher than in other places - was one of the reasons pump prices in the north Tasmanian city were higher, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission report on Wednesday showed.

"The increase in retail margins and profits in recent years has been due to relatively weak retail competition in Launceston," the report read.