The United States is under mounting pressure from South Korea and Mexico to lift its decades-old ban on crude oil exports.
According to Reuters, the two countries have joined the European Union in urging the U.S. to ship crude oil overseas.
{mosads}Earlier this month, South Korean President Park Geun-hye told a delegation of U.S. lawmakers from the House Energy Committee that getting their hands on the ultra-light crude coming from states like Texas and North Dakota was a priority, Reuters reports.
Similarly, Mexico is also waiting on the Commerce Department for possible shipments, and the EU is pushing for oil and natural gas exports under the Transatlantic Trade Investment Partnership the Obama administration is currently working on.
Signaling a further shift in momentum, Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) told Reuters that lifting the ban would help the economy and U.S. allies.
“I’m in favor of overturning the ban on crude oil exports,” Barton said.
The move puts Barton at odds with other House Republicans, who have remained hesitant to chime in on the issue.
“The shale revolution has changed the energy landscape in our country. It is time to change our laws to match this new reality,” Barton said.
The administration has said it is reviewing the export policy, and the Commerce Department recently approved exports for a lighter crude oil, called condensate that goes through a minimal refining process.