US energy trade & prices

Imports, exports and prices for oil, refined products and natural gas, monthly 2000-01 to 2026-06. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The big shift. Driven by the shale boom, the United States went from the world's largest net oil importer to a net exporter around 2019-2020 — the net-imports line below crosses zero. Natural-gas exports (LNG) took off over the same period. Prices tell the parallel story: the 2008 spike, the 2014 collapse, the 2020 COVID crash (WTI briefly negative), and the 2022 surge after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Trade

US petroleum trade — imports, exports & net million barrels/day

Imports (crude + products) Exports (crude + products) Net imports
-10-505101520200020032006200920122015201820212024

US crude oil trade million barrels/day

Crude imports Crude exports
0.002.505.007.5010.0012.50200020032006200920122015201820212024

US natural gas trade billion cubic feet/month

Imports Exports (incl. LNG)
02004006008001,000200020032006200920122015201820212024

Prices

WTI crude oil price $ / barrel

WTI
050100150200020032006200920122015201820212024

Regular gasoline (retail) $ / gallon

Gasoline
0.002.004.006.00200020032006200920122015201820212024

Henry Hub natural gas price $ / million BTU

Henry Hub
0.005.0010.0015.00200020032006200920122015201820212024