For years, the only gasoline the U.S. exported was to Mexico -- which was a contract arrangement in exchange for Mexican crude.
The only reason we're exporting it now (and it's not much) is because U.S. consumption has declined -- and refineries have to run at or near-capacity to maintain production efficiency. And, at that, it's being exported to the Caribbean because there isn't enough pipeline capacity to ship it to the Northeast.
It's not feasible to ship gasoline from the Gulf to the Northeast via tanker because US law requires all shipments between US ports to be carried in American flag bottoms with fully unionized crew.
Because of that, it is more efficient to export the Gulf's excess to the Caribbean and import gasoline into the Northeast from, say, Nigeria.
In other words, it's not a nefarious plot by the evil oil companies...
True.
It is, however a nefarious plot by the evil Marxists, unions and US Government.
Having received a number of comments related to the issue of whether China will be the ultimate recipient of oil through the XL pipeline to Texas, I decided to do a little research. Here are some links for all to ponder and comment on. The first link is strongly negative.
http://stopbigoilripoffs.com/stop-the-keystone-xl-pipeline/
The second link is a technical report for the Dept. of Energy.
http://www.keystonepipeline-xl.state.gov/clientsite/keystonexl.nsf/AssmtDrftAccpt.pdf
The third explores various political and practical implications of the current delay and the argument that if we don’t build it here it will go to Vancouver.
http://www.keystonepipeline-xl.state.gov/clientsite/keystonexl.nsf/AssmtDrftAccpt.pdf
I will be interested to see any additional information that can be developed on this highly controversial topic.