... In an attempt to seemingly downplay the impact of the Strait of Hormuz embargo on rising gas prices in the US, Trump claimed in his Wednesday address to the nation that the US imports "almost no oil" via the Strait.
Donald Trump gestures after delivering an address to the nation about the Iran war Wedensday. (via REUTERS)
Donald Trump gestures after delivering an address to the nation about the Iran war Wedensday. (via REUTERS)
Trump's claim sparked a row as the Strait of Hormuz has been a major point of contention with Trump seeking help from NATO allies to secure the Strait and subsequently threatening to leave the alliance amid their refusal over escalation concerns.
But in his speech Wednesday, the 79-year-old took a complete U-turn and downplayed the importance of the Strait of Hormuz to US oil imports. "The United States imports almost no oil through the Hormuz Strait and won't be taking any in the future," Trump proclaimed.
Also read: Trump says Iran was at the doorstep' of a nuclear weapon, defends strikes on nuclear sites
How Much Oil Does US Import Via Hormuz?
The data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) show that Trump is wrong. The US imports a significant amount of crude oil from Persian Gulf countries via the Strait of Hormuz.
The EIA's 2024 data, the latest available, shows that the US imported at least 0.5 million barrels of crude oil per day. Post 2024, only the 2025 Q1 data is available on US crude imports via Strait of Hormuz. It shows that the import via the Strait decreased slightly to 400,000 barrels per day.
In fact, the import of crude via the Strait if Hormuz has significantly gone down since 2022. In 2022, the US imported 700,000 barrels of crude via the Strait, while in 2023 the number was same as 2024, at 0.5 million barrels per day, according to the EIA.
Contrary to Trump's claim, 0.5 million barrels per day amounts to 7% of the US's total annual crude oil imports and 2% of total petroleum liquid imports. ...
