House Republicans say the Jones Act waiver is hurting American shipping. The White House says it helped lower prices during the war with Iran. Now 52 GOP lawmakers are pushing President Trump to let it die.
The Jones Act has been law for 126 years. It forces any cargo moving from one U.S. port to another to travel on ships that are American-made, American-owned, and crewed by Americans. President Trump granted a waiver in March 2026 to fight rising fuel and fertilizer costs during the U.S. war with Iran.
The waiver is set to expire on Aug. 16, 2026. Past U.S. presidents have seldom and for short periods set aside the requirement, but Trump's waiver stands as the longest such exemption ever. Advocates for the Jones Act worry that uncertainty over the law's longevity could deter capital from flowing into American ship construction.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer spearheaded the letter. The lawmakers argued that foreign countries, especially adversarial ones, are using the waiver to weaken American maritime control.
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The lawmakers wrote: "The domestic maritime industry is deeply concerned about the length, scope, and possible extension of the current Jones Act waiver." They also wrote: "The Jones Act waiver has become a loophole exploited by adversarial countries to erode America's maritime dominance."
They believe keeping the waiver alive hurts U.S. shipbuilders and the domestic shipping industry. If companies don't know if the law will stay strong, they won't invest in new American ships.
Originally enacted in 1920 to bolster the U.S. maritime industry and ensure a ready fleet for national defense, the Jones Act has long been a cornerstone of American shipping policy. Critics of the waiver argue that it erodes these foundational goals by opening domestic routes to foreign competition, potentially weakening the very industry the law was designed to protect.
The White House sees the waiver differently. Spokesperson Taylor Rogers said the move worked. "New data compiled since the initial Jones Act waiver was issued revealed that significantly more supply was able to reach U.S. ports faster," Rogers said.
She added that President Trump will continue his push for American energy dominance and economic relief. Energy Secretary Chris Wright is among the officials now debating whether to extend the waiver past Aug. 16.
Historically, Jones Act waivers have been rare and limited in duration, often granted in response to natural disasters such as hurricanes. The current waiver's length - nearly six months - has set a precedent that concerns both supporters and opponents of the law. Proponents of the Jones Act argue that the waiver undermines a century-old policy designed to protect the U.S. maritime industry and national security.
Trump must decide in the coming weeks whether to let the waiver expire or extend it. The outcome will affect the future of U.S. shipping and shipbuilding.
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