Petrol prices are expected to hit Kiwi's back pockets hard this year.

The Automobile Association is warning petrol could shoot up 40 cents by July, a rise it says will be fuelled by global petrol organisation Opec +.

AA Principal Policy Advisor, Terry Collins says they're choking supply to drive up prices.

"All I can see is it going upwards, probably for the rest of the year. And what they've signalled is if demand drops, we'll keep just taking supply out of the market to either put the prices up or keep them at the level we want."

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