Venezuela sustains nine-week streak as second-largest US crude supplier amid sanctions relief and Middle East crisis

Venezuela exported 578,000 barrels per day to the United States during the week ending June 19, 2026, maintaining its position as the second-largest crude supplier for nine consecutive weeks according to the Energy Information Administration. This represents the longest sustained period in that ranking since the EIA began weekly tracking in 2010, when Venezuela briefly held the position for two weeks in September 2015. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz amid Middle East conflict has displaced Saudi Arabia, traditionally occupying the second-supplier position, with the kingdom failing to export any crude to the United States for the second time since the war erupted in February.

Average exports to the United States during the first 24 weeks of 2026 reached 351,600 barrels per day, marking a 164% increase over the same period in 2025. Total volume for this period amounted to 59.3 million barrels, exceeding the entire 2025 export volume to the United States by 18%. The four-week moving average, smoothing short-term volatility to reveal underlying trends, stood at 564,000 barrels per day for the week ending June 19, reflecting an 8% increase from the previous week.

The expanded flow results directly from comprehensive sanctions relief on Venezuela’s hydrocarbon sector, implemented as geopolitical conditions shifted regional supply calculations. While preliminary EIA weekly figures provide the only public source tracking Venezuelan shipments to the United States, consolidated monthly reports lag by two months, limiting real-time visibility into contractual terms and pricing mechanisms. Production recovery remains constrained by infrastructure deterioration from nearly three decades of nationalistic energy policies and a decade of sanctions enforcement, limiting Venezuela’s capacity to capitalize fully on the current market window despite holding the world’s largest proven crude reserves at 303 billion barrels.