2013 Briefing Book - Print Version - Aipac

RELATIONSHIP
America’s Oil Dependence Threatens National Security
America’s dependence on oil jeopardizes both U.S. national and economic security.
The transportation sector—underpinning the entirety of the U.S. economy—is 94 percent
reliant on oil, demanding 14 million barrels of petroleum each day and consuming upwards of
$350 billion in the U.S. economy each year. This dependence exposes the country to drastic price
shocks and compromises U.S. national security, enriching regimes that do not share U.S. objectives
and often directly threaten Israel.
Oil-producing regimes like Iran and Venezuela spend their wealth on weapons that may threaten
the United States—fueling nuclear ambitions, funding terrorism and undermining regional stability.
As a member of OPEC, the oil cartel that controls more than 75 percent of the world’s conventional
oil reserves, Iran has a powerful lever to pursue its nuclear ambitions and continue funding, arming
and training Hamas, Hizballah and the militias that target U.S. troops in the region.
Economically, oil imports contribute enormously to the U.S. trade and balance of payments
deficits. The United States imports 46 percent of its oil needs, and while this represents a significant
reduction from 2005, the height of U.S. dependence, the price of oil has risen substantially,
Israel is developing new technologies that can help the United States and other countries reduce their reliance
on foreign oil.
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