oil

Question

Nigeria is the largest oil exporter to the US.Does it mean the US's biggest oil producer is Nigeria?Thanks.

Mr Wordy · Accepted Answer

I understand it to mean that Nigeria exports more oil to the US than any other country does. It's an unpleasant sentence though, in my opinion. I would say "Nigeria is the largest exporter of oil to the US".

New2grammar · Answer

How about "Nigeria is the US's largest oil exporter"?

Avangi · Answer

Not natural. We'd say, "Nigeria is the US's largest oil supplier."

They are not our exporter!

Mr Wordy · Answer

New2grammarHow about "Nigeria is the US's largest oil exporter"?

This doesn't work for me.

Nigeria exports oil to the US, but that doesn't make it "the US's" (in other words, Nigeria is not "belonging to the US", "of the US", etc.).

New2grammar · Answer

AvangiNigeria is the US's largest oil supplier

I was looking for this!

Thanks, Mr. Wordy and Avangi.

Avangi · Answer

Mr Wordy[ (in other words, Nigeria is not "belonging to the US", "of the US", etc.)

Hi, Wordy. That was my objection too. Now I'm struggling to explain why I don't get the same feeling when I say, "Nigeria is the US's largest oil supplier." I know there's a logical reason, but I'm too tired to figure it out right now.

We can say "our suppliers," and in a sense they do belong to us. Perhaps we can even say "our importers," meaning countries who import our goods. But not "our exporters."

Perhaps it's because we export our goods and import their goods. They export their goods and import our goods. So they're our importers.

Best wishes, - A.

BarbaraPA · Answer

Hey, just for fun, can we change this to "Canada" so that it's actually true?
The US imports more oil from Canada than any other country.
Canada is the county from which the US imports the most oil.
I don't like any of the "largest importer/largest exporter" - it could imply that it exports more oil than any other country at all, not that of the countries that export oil the US, the largest share comes from Canada.

Avangi · Answer

Not to mention whiskey.

Mr Wordy · Answer

AvangiThat was my objection too. Now I'm struggling to explain why I don't get the same feeling when I say, "Nigeria is the US's largest oil supplier."

Hi Avangi,

Here's my take on your comments.

Nigeria is both a supplier to the US and a supplier of the US, and the second possibility makes "Nigeria is the US's largest oil supplier" OK.

Nigeria is an exporter to the US, but not an exporter of the US, so "Nigeria is the US's largest oil exporter" is wrong.

Countries that import US goods are importers from the US, but not importers of the US, so "Canada is the US's largest importer", for example, is also wrong.

Mr Wordy · Answer

Grammar GeekI don't like any of the "largest importer/largest exporter"

I don't see that myself. To me, "Nigeria is the largest exporter of oil to the US" is unambiguous. It can only mean that Nigeria exports more oil to the US than any other country does.

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