Democrats in Congress are urging US oil refineries to stop importing oil from Russia in a bid to increase pressure on the Kremlin a week after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Bobby Rush, the Democratic chairman of the House House of Representatives’ energy subcommittee, and Jerry McNerny, another Democrat on the subcommittee, wrote to the refineries industry group, urging members to stop buying Russian crude oil and partially refined products.
In a letter to US fuel and petrochemical producers seen by the Financial Times, the two lawmakers wrote: “As any purchase of Russian barrels would now fund its war with Ukraine, it has become unscrupulous.
Separately, Jack Reed, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, tweeted Wednesday: “Imports of Russian oil must be stopped. Our internal deliveries are sufficient. ”
The United States imported about 209,000 barrels of crude oil a day from Russia last year, or about 3 percent of total imports, according to AFPM. But it also imports another 500,000 barrels a day of other petroleum products, accounting for nearly two-thirds of all unfinished oil imported from U.S. refineries, according to Rapidan Energy Group, a consulting firm.
The latest data from the US Energy Information Administration shows that the largest buyers of Russian oil in the country include ExxonMobil.
Joe Biden, the president of the United States, said he was ready to impose an oil embargo on Russia. But as its employees discuss the wisdom of this, many oil buyers are already moving to stop buying supplies from Russia.
Valero Energy, a Texas-based refinery company that imports heavily from Russia, has reportedly stopped all future purchases of Russian oil. Russian Urals oil is now trading at a record discount of more than $ 18 a barrel as producers in the country struggle to find buyers.