US crude exports hit four-year low in July on low domestic supplies

HOUSTON (Reuters) -U.S. crude oil exports eased in July to the lowest levels in nearly four years on low domestic supplies and as Asian and European buyers found cheaper alternatives, undermining U.S. President Donald Trump's push for more foreign countries to purchase U.S. energy supplies. Exports averaged 3.2 million bpd over the last five weeks, compared with 3.6 million bpd in June, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The decline came as the spread between European and U.S. benchmark crude futures narrowed, making it less economically attractive to ship barrels across the Atlantic.