Foreign policy considerations should be central to the discussion of U.S. oil and natural gas export policy. The United States has several vital interests at stake in the question of energy exports. First and foremost, open trade and investment globally in energy is important to U.S. vital interests. Barriers to energy trade and investment between major oil and gas rich regions and consuming countries can harm the global economy, leave the U.S. and its allies subject to energy blackmail, and create artificial shortages of vital energy supplies. U.S. energy trade in particular can enhance American power and influence by strengthening our ties to important allies and trading partners and allowing us to help our allies in times of market instability while at the same time weakening the petro-power of some of our adversaries such as Iran and Russia. Additionally, by improving our balance of trade, energy exports not only give the United States an upper hand with China, which will be more highly dependent on foreign oil imports than we will, but also allow the United States the luxury to augment its strong influence as a donor to global institutions.

Finally, energy exports are an important part of our free trade obligations. The United States already exports natural gas and condensate to Mexico and Canada and has commitments to free trade with those important neighbors under the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The United States has a free trade agreement with South Korea under the Republic of Korea Free Trade Agreement and with Central American states under the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA).