As the political campaign heats up even more, much will be said about the country’s energy independence and reliance on “foreign oil.”

It might be well to read what Asjylyn Loder wrote in Bloomberg News on Monday concerning oil output. The article cited hedge fund bulls pushing U.S. gasoline prices to a Labor Day record.

U.S. oil and natural gas production in July was the highest since 1999, according to the Energy Department. That increase has allowed the U.S. to “meet 81 percent of its energy needs last year, the most since 1992.” And, the U.S. took on the role of a net exporter of refined products for the first time since World War II.

Countries such as Venezuela and Brazil, petro dynamos in South America, both increased imports of U.S. refined products from last year.

Loder reported that gasoline has become more expensive because of rising world oil prices. The fact that U.S. refiners can turn a bigger profit by sending refined products out of the country should give us pause to think what would happen if we adopted policies to promote greater domestic crude production.

As long as markets for refined oil products overseas continue to grow, it only makes sense for U.S. refiners to tap these profitable opportunities.

“Drill Baby Drill!” won’t necessarily lower gas prices as long as customers in China, India and other developing markets are willing to outbid U.S. motorists in the global gasoline price wars.

F. Gerard Nault, Windsor

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