Gasoline-Starved California Is Turning to Fuel From the Bahamas

Feb. 15, 2026, 4:00 PM UTC

US supplies of gasoline are being shipped out of the country to travel thousands of miles via the Bahamas before finally ending up in California, a state battling shrinking fuelmaking capacity and high pump prices.

Shipments on the circuitous route are increasing. California imported more gasoline in November than ever before, with more than 40% coming from the Bahamas.

The lengthy journey adds another layer of cost to California’s already expensive gasoline market. Yet the phenomenon isn’t likely to disappear soon, thanks to a combination of disappearing oil refineries, a lack of interstate pipelines and a loophole in a 106-year-old ...

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