U.S. crude oil exports declined in 2025 for the first time since 2021, falling by 3% compared with the previous year. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), exports averaged 4.0 million barrels per day (b/d) in 2025. While still historically high, the drop marks a shift after several years of steady export growth driven by the U.S. shale boom.
The decline occurred even as U.S. crude oil production increased 3% to a record 13.6 million b/d. Instead of moving to international markets, a larger share of domestic production was directed toward rebuilding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) and supplying U.S. refineries, reducing the amount available for export.
A significant portion of the decline came from reduced shipments to Europe and the Asia–Oceania region, which have been the two largest destinations for U.S. crude oil since 2018. Exports to Europe dropped 7% in 2025, partly due to increased supply from OPEC producers. The United Kingdom saw the largest decrease, with imports of U.S. crude falling by more than 100,000 b/d, or about 35%.
Exports to Asia also weakened sharply. Shipments to Singapore declined by 75%, while exports to China fell by 89% compared with 2024. China had been the second-largest destination for U.S. crude exports in 2023, but imports from the United States have fallen significantly over the past two years.
Despite the overall decline, some countries increased their purchases of U.S. crude. India and Japan both imported more U.S. oil in 2025, while the Netherlands increased imports by about 80,000 b/d, partially offsetting declines elsewhere.
Another emerging destination is Nigeria, where imports of U.S. crude increased from roughly 40,000 b/d in 2024 to about 110,000 b/d in 2025. The increase is tied to the startup of the 650,000 b/d Dangote refinery, which began processing crude in early 2024 and has ramped up throughput since.
Even with the decline in exports, U.S. crude oil imports fell even more, resulting in a continued drop in net imports, which decreased from 2.5 million b/d in 2024 to 2.2 million b/d in 2025.
The drop in exports highlights how global crude flows continue to shift due to changing refinery demand, geopolitical factors, and competition from other major producers. While the United States remains one of the world’s leading crude exporters, 2025 illustrates that export volumes can fluctuate even during periods of record domestic production.
