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Monday, August 10, 2026 – President Trump today extended the Jones Act waiver for an additional 90 days, August 17, providing continued shipping flexibility for foreign ships transporting oil, energy products, and agricultural commodities to U.S. ports. The new waiver takes effect August 17 and follows the Administration’s previous 90-day extension issued in April.
The Jones Act generally requires cargo moving by water between U.S. ports to be transported on vessels that are U.S.-built, U.S.-owned, U.S.-flagged and crewed by American workers. The temporary waiver allows qualifying foreign-flagged vessels to participate in domestic movements, increasing available shipping capacity and providing additional options for moving fuel between regions of the country.
The latest extension is narrower than the existing waiver issued in April. Under the August 17 extension:
- The waiver is focused primarily on energy products. Covered commodities include gasoline, jet fuel, crude oil, naphtha, liquefied natural gas, soy oil and fertilizers, a significant reduction from the hundreds of product categories covered under the previous waiver.
- Voyages will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Rather than providing blanket relief, individual voyages will be considered separately.
- MARAD will have a greater role. The Department of War must consult with the U.S. Maritime Administration regarding the availability of U.S.-flagged, U.S.-owned and U.S.-operated vessels before determining whether a voyage qualifies.
The White House says the waiver has already driven a significant increase in domestic deliveries of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. Earlier in the waiver period, expanded vessel availability also opened additional routes for moving Gulf Coast fuel to supply-constrained markets, demonstrating the value of greater flexibility in the domestic fuel distribution system.
The case-by-case review process could make relief somewhat less immediate than under the current blanket waiver, but the additional 90 days preserve an important tool for moving fuel where it is needed and easing transportation bottlenecks that can contribute to regional supply and price pressures.
EMA strongly supports the Administration’s decision to continue the waiver and will continue working with the White House and Congress to extend this relief through the winter and pursue meaningful, permanent reform of Jones Act restrictions affecting the transportation of petroleum products.
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