U.S. Imports No Saudi Crude for First Time in 35 Years
- Absence follows months of slump in shipments from Saudi Arabia
- Weekly EIA data makes the U.S. a key target for Saudi cuts
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The U.S. didn’t import any Saudi crude last week for the first time in 35 years, a reversal from just months ago when the Kingdom threatened to upend the American energy industry by unleashing a tsunami of exports into a market decimated by the pandemic.
Eliminating the reliance on Middle East oil has been the dream of every U.S. Administration since the presidency of Jimmy Carter in 1977. Just 12 years ago, when Joe Biden became U.S. Vice-President, American refiners were routinely importing about 1 million barrels a day of crude from Saudi Arabia, the second-largest supplier to the U.S after Canada and seen as a major security risk.