TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – The United States is the world’s largest oil producer, pumping out around 13.4 million barrels of crude oil per day as of 2024. Yet despite this impressive figure, the U.S. continues to import millions of barrels of oil from other countries. Why?

According to the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, the U.S. refineries are built to process about 16.5 million barrels per day. This already surpasses the country’s daily domestic production.

Adding to the mismatch in quantity, the quality of U.S. crude oil also falls short of what many refineries require. While most American oil fields, especially in Texas and North Dakota, produce light, sweet crude, many U.S. refineries are optimized to process heavy, sour crude. These heavier grades offer more flexibility in producing gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel.

To maintain full capacity and operational efficiency, the U.S. strategically imports heavier crude oil from countries that specialize in it. Rather than indicating a supply shortage, this move deliberately supports the productivity and flexibility of American refining infrastructure.

Take Canada, for example, the largest supplier of crude oil to the U.S. Its well-established pipeline infrastructure delivers oil directly to refineries in the Midwest and Gulf Coast, while rail transport provides additional flexibility. In many cases, importing from Canada is more cost-effective than transporting domestic oil from Texas or North Dakota, especially when factoring in distance and infrastructure limitations. 

In 2024, Canada accounted for 61.7% of total U.S. crude oil imports, or approximately 4,072 thousand barrels per day. This marks a significant increase from 33% in 2013, driven largely by expanded pipeline access and the growth of crude-by-rail, which, according to the Canadian Energy Centre, deliveries of Canadian oil to refineries on the U.S. Gulf Coast rose from about 140,000 barrels per day in 2010 to 450,000 barrels per day in 2024.

U.S. Oil Imports by Country (2024 Data)

To give a clearer picture of where U.S. oil comes from, here’s a breakdown of U.S. oil imports by country, according to Visual Capitalist:

Canada – 4,072 bpd

South and Central America – 1,075 bpd

Mexico – 465 bpd

Saudi Arabia – 273 bpd

West Africa – 245 bpd

Iraq – 198 bpd

North Africa – 96 bpd

Europe – 74 bpd

UAE – 38 bpd

Kuwait – 22 bpd

Editor’s Choice: Top 10 Crude Oil Producing Countries in 2024

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