Reliance on foreign gasoline is growing

U.S. refineries are unable to meet surge in demand

As domestic refineries hit their limit and gasoline demand continues to rise, oil companies are importing more gasoline from beyond U.S. borders to keep America driving.

Gasoline shipped in from abroad now accounts for more than 11 percent of the total gasoline used in the U.S., roughly double the share of imports a decade ago, according to Energy Information Administration data.


Importing energy to power the world’s biggest economy is nothing new. The U.S. already brings in more than 60 percent of the crude oil it uses to make gasoline, diesel fuel and other products from rubber tires to plastic bags.

But the sharp growth in imported gasoline is a relatively recent phenomenon.

Houston Chronicle