As much as 60,000 tonnes of Asian gasoline is heading to South and Central America as higher prices and a supply shortfall in the region opened the rare east-to-Americas trade route, trade and industry sources said on Thursday. More movements could be expected as Asia continues to struggle with high stockpiles although these eastbound trades would likely be ad-hoc rather than regular, they added. Central and South America receive most of its gasoline from the U.S. Gulf Coast because of its proximity but the recent wildfires at Alberta, Canada, and refinery outages in the U.S. have affected its main supply source. “The wildfires at Alberta and refinery outages in California had created a temporary tightness in that region,” said Sri Paravaikkarasu, a senior consultant at energy consultancy FGE. “These unexpected events also came at a time when demand in the U.S. is firmer due to the summer driving season. […]