Why did you add in products? The author said crude oil, not total petroleum products. I was pointing out the author's incorrect statement. Have you looked at the products we get from Mexico? Most of them are residual oil, unfinished oils and other low value products not capable of being used for gasoline or diesel production.
The Saudis send far more of their oil elsewhere.
And if we were more energy independent, even less of it would come to the US.
2006
Mexico -- 575,501
Saudi Arabia -- 519,236
And since the Mexico has continued to decline and Saudi Arabia has grown. Over the last reported 12 months the values for crude oil now stand at:
Nov 2006 - Oct 2007
Saudi Arabia -- 521,814
Mexico -- 514,074
U.S. Crude Oil Imports from Mexico
http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/hist/mcrimusmx1m.htm
U.S. Crude Oil Imports from Saudi Arabia
http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/hist/mcrimussa1m.htm
The trend is getting worse for funding those that consider us enemies and sending our dollars to foreign nations. It is not a trend that is in our interests.
I couldn't agree more. However, the world's demand for oil will continue to increase. There will be no shortage of customers. And most of the world's exportable oil is in the Middle East. That's the point. And the Saudis, with the largest reserves and the ability to pump up to 10 million bbls a day, have excess capacity above their OPEC cap. They are not our enemy and we are competing against the Chinese and Japanese for long term oil contracts.
The US population growth also affects demand. We will add 167 million people in the next 50 years. They will need energy as well.