The world is increasingly dependent upon inter-regional trade. Each of the three OECD regions is highly dependent on imports of crude oil and petroleum products to satisfy its energy requirements. In 2005, North America reported imports from outside the region averaging 11.3 mb/d; countries in OECD Europe reported a total 13.0 mb/d and OECD Pacific countries reported imports of 8.7 mb/d. Eight out of every 10 barrels of net imports involved crude oil. The IEA tracks details of crude and petroleum products trade by collecting monthly and annual statistics from each OECD country detailing its imports and exports. These figures are collected for 18 separate categories of ‘oil’, ranging from crude, additives and feedstocks to petroleum products by type, and for over eighty sources and destinations. The IEA tracks crude imports from its Member countries, by type as well as country of origin. In non-OECD countries, the IEA tracks monthly trade flows for China, the FSU and India. Compared to the crude trade, product trade volumes are less significant.

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