NEW DELHI, Sept. 28 -- Washington's aggressive push to make its allies purchase American oil, despite being a net importer itself, is raising alarms over a potential global energy crunch, according to a Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) report released on Sunday.

World Bank data shows that in 2024, the US exported $298 billion in petroleum while importing $246 billion. In crude alone, it ran a $60 billion deficit, highlighting that the country is far from self-sufficient.

Yet under President Donald Trump, energy has become a tool of trade diplomacy, with countries pressured into long-term purchases of US crude, refined products, and liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Mint reported on 25 September that the US has asked India to commit, ...