US exports of ultra low sulfur diesel jumped 146,000 b/d to a record 834,000 b/d in May, with the increase primarily seen into Europe, monthly data released by the US Energy Information Administration showed Monday.
The ULSD exports exceeded the prior record, which was 733,000 b/d in December 2011.
The US has been increasing its exports of distillates, primarily ULSD, since 2009, while decreasing imports. As a result, the US became a net exporter of ULSD in January 2009. Net exports at 745,000 b/d were the highest on record.
The bulk of the ULSD exports continued to get shipped from the US Gulf Coast. Exports from the Gulf averaged 695,000 b/d, also a record high, the EIA data showed.
Europe and Latin America remained the top spots for ULSD from the US. Exports to France jumped 70,000 b/d to 99,000 b/d, the EIA data showed, while exports to the Netherlands climbed 92,000 b/d to 155,000 b/d.
In Latin America, 114,000 b/d was sent to Mexico, down slightly from April, while Chile took 129,000 b/d of ULSD, up from 108,000 b/d in April. ULSD exports to Brazil remained spotty, falling to zero, from 42,000 b/d in April.
The US exported just 26,000 b/d of distillates to Brazil in May, all of it high sulfur.
The US also remained a net exporter of finished gasoline. Net exports fell 68,000 b/d to 283,000 b/d.
But the US remained a net importer of gasoline blending components, at 621,000 b/d, down slightly from 665,000 b/d in April.
The single largest suppliers of blending components were Canada, at 181,000 b/d; the United Kingdom, at 113,000 b/d; and the Netherlands at 86,000 b/d.
US exports of residual fuel jumped 87,000 b/d, to 508,000 b/d, led by a 65,000 b/d increase to 134,000 b/d in exports to Singapore.
