Frequently Asked Questions

How much petroleum does the United States import and from where?

The U.S. imported approximately 11.4 million barrels per day of petroleum in 2011 from about 80 countries. We also exported 2.9 MMbd of crude oil and petroleum products, so our net imports (imports minus exports) equaled 8.4 MMbd. The net imports accounted for 45% of the petroleum consumed in the United States, the lowest annual average since 1995.

"Petroleum" includes crude oil and refined petroleum products like gasoline and biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel. In 2011, about 79% of gross petroleum imports were crude oil, and about 60% of the crude oil processed in U.S. refineries was imported.

The top five source countries of U.S. petroleum imports in 2011, were Canada, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, and Nigeria. Their respective rankings vary depending on whether you consider total/gross petroleum imports or net petroleum imports (gross imports minus exports). Net imports from OPEC countries accounted for 52% of U.S. net imports.

Top Sources of Imported Petroleum to the United States in 2011 In Million Barrels per Day (and Percent Share of Total Imports)
Import Sources	Gross Imports	Exports to Import Source	Net Imports
Total, All Countries	11.360	2.924	8.436
OPEC Countries	4.534 (40%)	0.126	4.408 (52%)
Persian Gulf Countries	1.862 (16%)	0.019	1.843 (22%)
Top Five Countries
Canada	2.706 (24%)	0.295	2.411 (29%)
Mexico	1.205 (11%)	0.569	0.636 (8%)
Saudi Arabia	1.195 (11%)	0.002	1.193 (14%)
Venezuela	0.944 (8%)	0.032	0.912 (11%)
Nigeria	0.817 (7%)	0.015	0.802 (10%)