Go to the yearly table --- http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/pet_move_impcus_a2_nus_epc0_im0_mbbl_a.htm --- and read the definition. You list the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia as separate, yet the Saudi exports to the US are included in the Persian Gulf numbers. Same thing with the OPEC numbers.
2006 was the last full year reported by EIA and here are the top 5 countries of origin in thousands of barrels.
Canada -- 637,854
Mexico -- 575,501
Saudi Arabia -- 519,236
Venezuala -- 417,000
Nigeria -- 378,760
From all countries, we imported 3,693,081 thousand barrels vs 3,404,894 in the year 2001 an increase of almost 300,000. But imports from the Persian Gulf region, have decreased over that same time frame from 972,479 in 2001 to 788,432 in 2006.
No, I am using data is not more than a year old as you are.
Go to the last 12 reported months. Saudi Arabia has sent us more crude than Mexico.
I did not intend them to be read as separate. As you said, they are included in the larger number. I was not trying to define the Persian Gulf as being separate from Saudi Arabia. Just as the EIA does, I included it for reference in the country data.