US Crude Exports Test Limits as Shipping Constraints Mount

The war in Iran has sent demand for US oil from overseas toward record levels, bolstering President Donald Trump’s push for “American energy dominance.” But as shipments surge, exports are beginning to run up against their practical limits.

Constraints in infrastructure and supply are likely to keep US oil flows well below headline capacity figures often cited at around 10 million barrels a day. Traders and analysts say the system can’t realistically sustain anything close to that level. Under current conditions, they point to a more plausible ceiling of under 6 million barrels a day — or even lower.