The U.S. currently gets only a relatively small share of its oil from the Middle East, and most of its supply now comes from North America (especially the U.S. itself and Canada).

Big picture: how much from the Middle East?

  • In recent years, less than about 10% of total U.S. oil imports have come from core Middle Eastern suppliers like Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, and the UAE.
  • Because the U.S. also produces a lot of its own oil, Middle East barrels make up an even smaller share of total U.S. oil consumption than of imports.
  • In 2025, analysis of U.S. government data showed that over 80% of U.S. oil imports came from within the Western Hemisphere (Canada, Latin America, etc.), the highest such share in decades.

A simple way to think of it:

Most oil the U.S. uses is either pumped at home or bought from neighbors; Middle East oil is now a minority slice rather than the backbone of supply.

Where the U.S. actually gets its oil

  • Domestic production : The U.S. has been the world’s largest oil and natural gas producer, thanks largely to shale/fracking, so a big portion of what it uses is produced inside the country.
  • Top foreign source – Canada : Canada is by far the largest external supplier of crude oil to the U.S., providing the majority of U.S. crude imports.
  • Other key suppliers : Mexico and Brazil in Latin America, plus some barrels from countries like Saudi Arabia and Iraq, but their combined share has fallen to levels not seen since the 1970s–1980s.

Main suppliers snapshot (directional)

Source region/country| Role for U.S. supply (recent years)
---|---
U.S. domestic| Largest single source; major producer since shale boom.68
Canada| Biggest foreign supplier; majority of crude imports.3810
Mexico, Brazil, others in Americas| Important but smaller import shares.310
Middle East (Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, UAE, etc.)| Now a minority share of imports, well below historic highs.349

Why the U.S. still cares about Middle East oil

Even though the U.S. doesn’t rely heavily on Middle Eastern oil volumes anymore, it still cares about the region for three big reasons:

  1. Global price setting
    • Oil is priced in a global market, so disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz or Gulf supplies can lift prices everywhere, including in the U.S., even if very few Middle East barrels come directly here.
  1. Refinery needs and crude “quality”
    • U.S. shale oil is generally light and sweet, while many Gulf and Latin American crudes are heavier; some Gulf Coast refineries are configured to run on heavier grades, so imports of those types of barrels still matter.
  1. Global energy security and allies
    • Middle East oil flows are critical for U.S. allies like Europe and especially major Asian buyers (China, India, Japan, South Korea), so big disruptions affect global trade and geopolitics, not just America’s own barrels.

Recent context and “latest news” flavor

  • Recent Middle East conflict and risks around the Strait of Hormuz have raised concerns about global supply, but analysis suggests the direct impact on U.S. physical supply is smaller than in past decades because the U.S. imports fewer barrels from the region and more from the Americas.
  • U.S. officials and the current administration have talked about measures to protect maritime energy trade in the Gulf, not only for U.S. oil but for the stability of global markets overall.

TL;DR: The U.S. still imports some oil from the Middle East, but it’s now a relatively small fraction of both its imports and its total use; most U.S. oil comes from domestic production and nearby suppliers like Canada, though Middle East disruptions can still push up prices everywhere.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.