WASHINGTON: The US exported a record high 1.45 million b/d of distillates in June, up 207,000 b/d from May, with increases seen to Latin America and Europe, US Energy Information Administration data showed Wednesday.
Distillate exports to the Netherlands jumped 115,000 b/d to 225,000 b/d in June, while exports to France edged up 11,000 b/d to 79,000 b/d. In Latin America, increases were seen across the board. US refiners exported 116,000 b/d of distillate to Brazil in June, up from 97,000 b/d in May. Exports to Mexico jumped 52,000 b/d to 212,000 b/d, while exports to Argentina climbed 46,000 b/d to 118,000 b/d.
US Gulf Coast refiners — notably Marathon, Valero and Phillips 66 — have increasingly depended on export demand to market their refined products. While sluggish economic growth has sparked concerns that export demand might begin to dry up, threatening USGC refinery margins, the EIA June data showed export demand running strong. The market may be glutted with refined products, making the diesel arbitrage to Europe difficult, but near record low freight rates have helped keep the barrels moving.
