The United States exported slightly more petroleum products in the first half of 2020 than the same period in 2019, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said in a report on Monday.
According to the EIA's report, the United States exported 5.4 million barrels per day (b/d) of petroleum products, an increase of 48,000 b/d, or 1 percent, from the first half of 2019. Greater exports of propane and other hydrocarbon gas liquids more than offset declines in exports of transportation fuels such as gasoline, distillate fuel oil, and jet fuel.
In the first six months of 2020, U.S. propane exports increased by 175,000 b/d, or 17 percent, from the same period in 2019, said the EIA.
Propane is used for space heating, transportation, or as a petrochemical feedstock. Most U.S. propane exports are used as petrochemical feedstocks, mainly by facilities in Asia. China was the fourth-largest destination for U.S. propane exports in the first half of 2020, behind Japan, Mexico, and South Korea.