U.s. Oil Import Policy And The Middle East's Oil Strategy

It is since the early 1950s that USA has become a pure oil import country, taking the import of oil as its priority policy. By 1973, the Nixon Administration continues its Mandatory Oil Import Program, which is initiated by the Eisenhower Administration, and which is turned to the License Fee Program. The purpose of oil strategy of the Nixon Administration is to insure the political stabilization, oil security and the income of U.S. multinational oil corporations as well. Both the establishment of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and the First Oil Crises has resulted in profound impacts on the world oil market. The paper comprises the following sections.Section One describes the relationship between USA and Middle East. In some sense, the relationship between USA and Middle East is determined by oil. The import of oil is very important for USA, while Middle East is rich in oil resources. Hence, oil serves as the foundation of the interdependence between USA and the Middle East.Section Two accounts the policy of oil import by the Nixon Administration. Generally, American oil import policies shift from protection to openness. The Nixon Administration carries out the projects: Mandatory Oil Import Program and License Fee Program.Section Three discusses the American oil strategy in the Middle East, the key point of which is to guarantee security of the oil in the Middle East, American oil import and the incomes of U.S. multinational corporations.Section Four analyses the interaction between USA and the Middle East in terms of the world oil market. The shift of the world oil center, the establishment of OPEC and the gradually weakening of American oil hegemony all result from the games between USA and the Middle East.Last section is the conclusions in which the author recapitulates and illuminates the major questions of the paper.