In the last ten years thirteen US oil refineries were shut down or converted. They were shut down for different reasons, but being shut down by direct government mandate was not a reason.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), in 2025 the United States exported approximately:
4.0 million barrels per day of crude oil.
10.8 million barrels per day of total petroleum and related liquids, including crude oil and refined products.
The U.S. also imported crude oil and petroleum products. It exported more petroleum overall than it imported, but it remained a net importer of crude oil.
You can check the official figures in the EIA’s U.S. petroleum export statistics.
Why this matters for gasoline prices: Oil is traded in a global market. Even when America produces more crude than any other country, domestic gasoline prices can rise when international oil prices increase. Exports also don’t mean that all U.S. crude is suitable for every domestic refinery.
What’s driving prices gasoline prices right now?
The most important factor currently appears to be geopolitical disruption to global oil supplies, especially tensions affecting shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, combined with high crude oil prices and refinery constraints around the world. Reuters reported that attacks on tankers and reduced Gulf oil flows have heightened supply concerns.
In other words, the wars in Ukraine and Iran. Not Democrats or Republicans (unless you include the President starting the Iran war).
