Trump waives Jones Act shipping restrictions in latest bid to ease gas prices
By Adam Cancryn
(CNN) — The White House is temporarily lifting key limits on the shipping of oil, gas and other commodities throughout the United States, in its latest effort to counter rising energy prices sparked by its war with Iran.
The move to waive the Jones Act will allow foreign-flagged ships to transport the commodities between US ports for the next 60 days, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed in a post on X. That could ease the flow of energy products throughout the country amid the US’ ongoing efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“This action will allow vital resources like oil, natural gas, fertilizer, and coal to flow freely to U.S. ports for sixty days,” Leavitt wrote on X.
The waiver of the act – which requires goods transported between US ports be carried by US-flagged ships – was among several options under consideration by Trump administration officials over the last week as they scrambled for ways to alleviate a supply crunch that has pushed global oil prices sharply higher and raised the cost of gasoline in the US.
Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz since the first days of the war, sealing off a critical waterway that handles roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply.
Trump officials have offered no firm timeline for breaking the impasse, with the strait still considered too treacherous for ships to traverse even after days of attacks aimed at degrading Iran’s offensive capabilities.
A coalition of 32 nations, including the US, agreed last week to release a record amount of oil from their respective strategic reserves, in an effort to bolster global supplies. The US has also temporarily lifted certain sanctions on Russian oil that were imposed after its invasion of Ukraine, allowing countries to purchase oil that is already at sea without facing penalties.
The Jones Act waiver, which marks the administration’s latest effort to ease the situation, will allow a wider array of tankers to move oil around the country.
Yet while energy analysts have projected that the move could help ease the prices somewhat in the short term, it will have only limited effect compared with the size of the shock to the market triggered by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
“It represents a very small part of the energy distribution network, but any steps to help reduce prices right now are welcome,” said Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles.
The waiver also prompted criticism from US shippers, with the American Maritime Partnership warning that it “will not reduce gas prices.”
“We are deeply concerned about this 60-day, broad waiver being abused and unnecessarily displacing American workers and American companies,” the partnership, which represents the US maritime industry, said in a statement.
The move didn’t shift sentiment in the oil market. US crude rose 1.5% to around $97 a barrel, and Brent crude, the international benchmark, gained 5% to nearly $109 a barrel.
US gas prices in the meantime have also spiked, increasing 86 cents per gallon on average since the war began, according to data from AAA. The surge has wiped out all the progress that the administration made to lower gas prices in its first year, further denting President Donald Trump’s efforts to alleviate voters’ anxiety over the cost of living.
“Gas prices are up, and we know they’re up, and we know that people are hurting because of it,” Vice President JD Vance said in Michigan on Wednesday, before downplaying it as a “temporary blip.”
“It’s not going to last forever,” he said. “We’re going to take care of business.”
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
