EIA: U.S. Imports of Venezuelan Crude Reach 15-Mo High

HOUSTON, TX (DTN) –U.S. crude oil imports from Venezuela reached a 15-month high on the week ended March 13, while imports from Mexico hit a more than two-year peak during the same period, the Energy Information Administration reported on Wednesday (3/18).

Imports of Venezuelan crude continued their upward trend — since the United States took control of the South American country’s oil production in January — rising by 191,000 bpd to 423,000 bpd in the reference week. This was also higher than the 319,000 bpd reported in the same week last year.

U.S. crude imports from Mexico also rose sharply, by 500,000 bpd to 640,000 bpd last week. This represents more than three times the volume imported in the same week of 2025, when it was 195,000 bpd, according to EIA data.

Imports of heavy sour Ecuadorean grades rose from zero bpd reported on a weekly and yearly basis to 271,000 bpd last week. Meanwhile, imports of heavy crude from Colombia increased almost three times week-over-week by climbing 143,000 bpd to 219,000 bpd. However, it was below 349,000 bpd imported year-over-year.  

Canada, the main U.S. source of imports, saw volumes decline by 422,000 bpd to 3.8 million bpd during the reference week, but exceeding 3.1 million bpd recorded in the same period last year.

Despite the U.S.-Israel-Iran war entering its third week and disrupting global supply, imports from Saudi Arabia remained elevated, jumping by 186,000 bpd to 793,000 bpd in the week ended March 13, more than four times the 218,000 bpd recorded year-over-year.

In contrast, Iraq posted a sharp decline, with exports to the U.S. dropping by 196,000 bpd to 113,000 bpd in the profiled week. This was below the 202,000 bpd reported in the same week of last week.

Libya virtually disappeared from U.S. import ledgers, dropping to zero bpd on the week ended March 13, compared to 2,000 bpd reported the previous week and unchanged from the same week of a year earlier.