US mulls cut in Russian oil imports

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. government is considering a reduction in Russian oil imports by the United States, the White House said on Friday, as a bill banning all purchases of Russian energy products by Washington circulates in Congress.

“We are exploring ways to reduce Russian oil imports while ensuring that global supply needs are maintained,” White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said during a press briefing.

Democratic Senators Joe Manchin and Republican Lisa Murkowski proposed legislation on Thursday that would ban all imports of Russian energy products in response to the invasion of Ukraine.

The executive could rely on this law to ban Russian imports while sharing with Congress the responsibility for a possible increase in fuel prices.

If a very large majority of Americans support the principle of a suspension of Russian oil purchases, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Friday – 80% of those questioned, with solid majorities on the Democratic as well as Republican side -, the House blanche is moving cautiously on this file, fearing the effect of a surge in gasoline prices on an already very high inflation rate.

Americans are the world’s largest consumers of gasoline, and the United States imported more than 20.4 million barrels of crude and refined oil from Russia per month on average last year, or 8% of total US imports of liquid fuel according to the US Energy Information Agency.

(Reporting Trevor Hunnicutt, Chris Gallagher and Jarrett Renshaw; written by Jean-Stéphane Brosse)

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