General Discussion

Last year, the U.S. imported approximately 490,000 barrels of crude oil per day from countries in the Persian Gulf, which include Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. That was about 8% of the almost 6.2 million barrels per day the U.S. imported in total, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. (Canada and Mexico were the source of roughly 70% of U.S. crude imports last year, with Canada alone accounting for a little more than 63%.)

As we’ve reported, the U.S. still relies on some imports because much of the crude oil produced domestically is lighter, or less dense, while many refineries in the U.S. were long ago configured to use the heavier crude oils produced in other parts of the world, such as Canada. That’s also why the U.S. exports a lot of the oil produced in the States.

https://www.factcheck.org/2026/03/how-iran-blocking-the-strait-of-hormuz-affects-the-u-s/