Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said Friday on Newsmax that the United States is not dependent on oil moving through the Strait of Hormuz, casting the latest disruption there as a bigger problem for major importers such as China than for the U.S. economy.
Appearing on "Rob Schmitt Tonight," Burgum said the Trump administration's energy policy had left the United States in a stronger position even as oil and gasoline prices rose.
U.S. crude settled Friday at $90.90 per barrel, according to Reuters, and AAA listed the national average price for a gallon of regular gasoline at $3.32 on Friday.
"We are not dependent on oil coming through the Strait of Hormuz," Burgum said. "This country is truly not just energy-independent but, under President [Donald] Trump, energy-dominant."
Burgum said global markets remained supplied and that countries more reliant on Persian Gulf shipments faced greater exposure.
"The person who really has to worry about this is China," he said.
"China imports 11.5 million barrels of oil a day. About half of that comes through the Strait of Hormuz."
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz averaged about 20 million barrels a day in 2024, equal to roughly 20% of global petroleum liquids consumption, with volumes in early 2025 remaining near that level.
He also said the administration expected oil flows to resume and cited military and White House efforts to steady markets.
"President Trump said earlier this week, released it from the White House, that we're going to have insurance and we're going to escort ships out of the Strait of Hormuz. We're going to get oil flowing again to these markets to calm them going forward," he said.
The interview came as the White House weighed additional responses to rising energy prices.
On Thursday, the administration was considering possible actions tied to the oil futures market as it sought ways to counter price spikes linked to the Iran conflict. However, there was still "no immediate plan" to announce a Treasury futures-trading move.
Burgum also pointed to Venezuela as part of the administration's supply strategy, saying oil was moving to Gulf Coast refineries.
"You know, two months ago, they were a sanctioned adversary. Now they're a strategic ally. And we got oil flowing to the United States, to the refineries on the Gulf of America coast," he said.
His remarks came amid broader warnings about the conflict's economic fallout.
On Friday, Qatar's energy minister warned a prolonged war could force Gulf producers to halt exports within weeks and push oil prices to $150 a barrel.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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