U.S. oil exports reach record high amid Middle East supply disruptions

U.S. crude oil exports rose to 5.2 million barrels per day last week as disruptions to Middle East supplies persisted, according to U.S. government data. The increase brought exports to the highest weekly level in seven months.

Net crude oil imports—imports minus exports—fell to 66,000 barrels per day, the lowest weekly level since 2001. Despite the improvement, the United States still imports some crude because domestic refineries are configured to process heavier, higher-sulfur grades than the light, “sweet” crude produced domestically.

Middle East disruptions shift global flows

Energy market disruptions linked to the Middle East conflict have affected about 20% of global oil and gas supply unable to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. As a result, Asian and European buyers have been seeking alternatives, including increasing purchases from the United States, the world’s largest oil producer.

Over the last week, about 2.4 million barrels per day—roughly 47% of U.S. exports—were shipped to Europe. Meanwhile, 1.49 million barrels per day, or 37%, went to Asia, up from 30% in the same period in 2025, according to Kpler data.

Major U.S. customers include the Netherlands, Japan, France, Germany, and South Korea. Kpler also reported a tanker carrying 500,000 barrels en route to Turkey, marking the first U.S. export to the country in at least a year.

Wider price differentials boost U.S. crude

Disruptions have widened the Brent-WTI spread to as much as $20.69 per barrel last month, making U.S. crude more attractive to European and Asian refiners. On April 13, spot prices for deliveries to Europe were near record highs of about $150 per barrel, while prices in Africa also reached new highs, according to LSEG and traders.

Janiv Shah, vice president of oil markets at Rystad Energy, said the rise in U.S. exports reflects Atlantic and Asian buyers expanding their supplier search, with regional price differentials wide enough to cover transport costs.

Export outlook and constraints

Matt Smith, an analyst at Kpler, forecast that U.S. crude exports in April could reach 5.2 million barrels per day and approach capacity. Industry experts said the United States could export up to around 6 million bpd, limited by pipeline capacity and tanker availability.

White House data show the previous record was 5.6 million barrels per day in 2023. Bekzod Zukhritdinov, a crude trader in Dubai, said markets have begun testing an export ceiling around 5.2 million bpd for the week, adding that each additional barrel above that level would face higher transport and logistics costs.

Shah of Rystad also noted that a shortage of tankers and rising shipping costs could curb exports. Rohit Rathod, a senior analyst at Vortexa, said about 80 supertankers are heading toward the Gulf of Mexico and are likely to take cargo in April and May.