More often than not, that's the case, with one curious exception — 86,000 barrels a day of imported Saudi oil. To get rid of 86,000 barrels of Saudi oil would mean sending Alberta crude 4,600 kilometres across the country, an expensive trip even by seaborne tanker standards. It's a straightforward enough idea that tends to get brushed aside when more alluring yet specious arguments against Saudi barrels are trotted out. Rather than a sincere part of a principled stand against an authoritarian regime, calls to displace Saudi barrels instead use the Kingdom as a handy strawman. Economic nativismThe argument against Saudi barrels is further complicated by a suspicion of imports in general, regardless of whether the belief stands up to economic scrutiny.

Source: CBC News December 02, 2017 09:56 UTC