SNow we turn to gasoline, where imports are critical to meeting demand. This chart focuses on the increases in supply from domestic refineries and from imports.  From 1998 to 2004, the increases in domestic production and imports have been similar, each meeting about half of the growth in demand.  As this chart shows, each source of supply increased about 400 thousand barrels per day.
	SIncreases in imports are not necessarily bad for consumers.  In the last decade gasoline imports have been very competitive in the U.S. gasoline market, as demonstrated by the growth in gasoline imports compared to the increase in supply from domestic refineries.  Suppliers have purchased imports even when U.S. refiners could have increased production, because the price of those imports was more economic than increased domestic production.