Rising US oil imports have spawned a variety of policies for increasing energy security. We provide a qualitative comparison of policies using a dynamic optimal control model, Thirty-year price and output paths for OPEC and the USA are simulated assuming that US producers are competitive and OPEC is a dominant firm, We find that the policies have quite different effects on imports and welfare. The tariff reduces imports the most, followed by the gasoline tax. A per unit tariff and gasoline tax are costly in terms of US welfare, whereas an ad valorem tariff can both lower imports and enhance US welfare.