The United States has become the main supplier of crude oil, diesel and liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Europe in recent months, benefiting from a drop in imports from the east of the Suez Canal caused by attacks in the Red Sea, Reuters reported. agency, quoted by Agerpres.

“The U.S. ranks first in all the key commodities that Europe should be buying,” Victor Katona, an analyst at Kpler, said at an event in London. This month, the United States delivered 2.17 million barrels of crude oil per day to Europe. Diesel exports totaled 207,000 bpd, outpacing imports from Saudi Arabia by about 201,000 bpd.

According to Kpler, there are currently no vessels loaded with LNG in the Red Sea. QatarEnergy, one of the world’s largest LNG exporters, announced in January that it would no longer ship through the Red Sea due to security concerns.

Last year, the United States became the world’s largest exporter of liquefied natural gas, and American exports are expected to double by the end of the decade. According to Kpler, the transportation of oil and products through the Suez Canal is about 30-40% less than in October 2023.

“The idea is that the countries of the Atlantic basin trade more and more with each other, the fact that the United States has become the biggest player in the European market is telling,” Katona explained. He added:

“US dominance in diesel exports to Europe may diminish if the Red Sea conflict subsides, allowing fuel to be transported from the Middle East and India to Europe again.”

Houthi rebels in Yemen have vowed to attack ships in the Red Sea linked to Israel. However, many of the ships that were attacked have no connection to this country.

The goal of the rebels is to end Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip. Because of the Houthi attacks, major shipping companies are increasingly avoiding the shortest sea route between Asia and Europe and sailing around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.