Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has said that the petrol price hike was inevitable because of a steep increase in price of crude oil in the international market. Drawing comparisons between the prices in 2000 and 2011, he said the price of crude has gone up by 5 to 6 times in a decade. The Minister said, nearly 75 per cent of country's 100 million tonnes of crude requirement is met by imports. Mr. Mukherjee was speaking to reporters in Mumbai after addressing a review meeting of the West Zone states on wide ranging issues pertaining to credit and flow of funds to the farm sector. He indicated that the Empowered Group of Ministers' meeting on Tuesday may consider the demand for lifting the ban on union exports.