U.S. Temporarily Waives Jones Act to Ease Fuel Costs

The Trump administration temporarily relaxed the Jones Act on Wednesday to blunt rising fuel prices tied to the war in the Middle East. President Trump is waiving the law's requirements for 60 days "to mitigate the short-term disruptions to the oil market as the U.S.

military continues meeting the objectives of Operation Epic Fury," Karoline Leavitt, a White House spokeswoman, said on X. The Jones Act requires that ships moving cargo between U.S. ports be built in the United States and crewed by Americans. Those vessels typically charge more than foreign ships, and the restriction has been waived before—after Hurricane Maria in 2017 and in 2021 following a cyberattack that shut an energy pipeline.

Officials and some analysts said the move could lower transportation costs for fuel and farm goods but is likely to shave only pennies off gasoline prices.

United States

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