The U.S. has become the world's largest oil exporter - Reuters

The United States has topped the ranking of global oil exporters, surpassing Saudi Arabia and Russia amid global geopolitical shifts. 

The change in leadership in the energy market occurred due to a significant reduction in supplies from major competitors, particularly as a result of the war with Iran, which disrupted Saudi exports, as well as Ukrainian drone attacks and U.S. sanctions that undermined Russian capabilities. 

According to data from the ship-tracking service Vortexa, U.S. exports of crude oil and fuel rose to approximately 10.5 million barrels per day in May, allowing the country to maintain its status as the world’s leading exporter for the third consecutive month.

According to calculations by journalists and market analysts, Russian export figures in May fell to 7 million barrels per day, while shipments from Saudi Arabia dropped to 5.9 million barrels per day. These results demonstrate a dramatic shift in market share compared to last year, as in 2025 Riyadh consistently led with a figure of about 8.1 million barrels per day, Washington ranked second with 6.6 million, and Moscow rounded out the top three with 5.8 million barrels.

The current leadership of the U.S. oil and gas sector marks a historic shift in energy security, as for many decades the country was critically dependent on Middle Eastern raw materials and was severely affected by the 1973 OPEC oil embargo, imposed in response to U.S. support for Israel. The situation began to change radically after 2010, when a technological breakthrough in the extraction of hydrocarbons from shale formations led to a sharp increase in domestic production, allowing the U.S. to first become the world’s leading supplier of natural gas and now to claim the top spot in the global oil market.