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By Dorothy Neufeld | Graphics/Design: Amy Kuo
Key Takeaways
- The Netherlands imported 419 million barrels, making it the world’s largest buyer of American crude, ahead of much larger economies like China, India, and Japan.
- Mexico fell to second place, importing 398 million barrels.
- China’s imports of U.S. oil declined 34% in 2025, while India’s rose 35%, highlighting diverging demand trends between the world’s two most populous countries.
The Netherlands became the world’s largest buyer of U.S. oil in 2025, importing more American crude than much larger economies such as China, India, and Japan.
Nearly 4 billion barrels of U.S. oil were shipped abroad last year, underscoring the country’s growing role as a global energy exporter.
Much of the Netherlands’ imported crude passes through the Port of Rotterdam, one of the world’s largest energy hubs, where oil is refined or redistributed across Europe.
Using data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration via USAFacts, this graphic ranks the largest buyers of U.S. oil in 2025.
The World’s Biggest Buyers of U.S. Oil
Below, we show the largest importers of U.S. crude oil and petroleum products:
The Netherlands led global imports with 419 million barrels, after purchases surged by roughly 31 million barrels in 2025.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, U.S. crude has played a growing role in replacing Russian energy across Europe. A large share flows through the Port of Rotterdam, where roughly 1.1 million barrels of oil pass through each day.
Canada ranked third, importing 324 million barrels, a modest increase from the previous year. Despite its vast oil reserves, Canada lacks sufficient refining capacity and east-west pipeline infrastructure, leading it to rely heavily on crude imports from the United States.
Meanwhile, China’s imports of U.S. oil fell by 81 million barrels in 2025, pushing the country down to the sixth-largest buyer, from third place a year earlier. Amid escalating trade tensions, China increasingly turned to discounted sanctioned crude from Iran, Venezuela, and Russia.
India, meanwhile, increased U.S. crude shipments in 2025. Overall, U.S. crude exports jumped by 57 million barrels, rising 35% over the year.
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