Trump adds 90 days to Jones Act waiver, keeping foreign ships moving fuel between U.S. ports

What changed and what did not

Trump granted a further 90 days of flexibility from century-old Jones Act requirements that normally govern coastwise shipping. According to a White House official, the extension kicks in at 12:00 a.m. Monday New York time, ensuring continuity with the expiring waiver.

He kept the narrower setup he adopted in August, when the administration tightened the waiver to case-by-case reviews of whether suitable U.S. ships are available. Usage has eased since that shift.

How the case-by-case gate works

Under the current process, the U.S. Maritime Administration must be consulted on the availability of U.S. flagged, owned and operated vessels before a particular voyage can use the waiver. That check limits how often the exemption applies, but keeps it in play.

Shipbuilders and several members of Congress who back them opposed extending the policy, contending it undermines the century-old protectionist framework they see as essential for U.S. shipbuilding capacity. Industry groups representing oil and chemical firms argued the waiver enabled cheaper, more efficient movements of crude, fertilizer and other goods, helping cushion supply snags linked to the conflict in Iran and to refinery damage in Russia.

Regulatory shifts often reshape opportunities for patient investors seeking an informational edge. We're hosting our first ever investor livestream on 11/17 to show you how to use ChatGPT and Claude to invest like a pro, hosted by Briefs Finance CEO Jaspreet Singh. Save your seat.

What the waiver has delivered so far

Since March, government data reviewed by the Cato Institute show 338 trips on foreign-flagged vessels, including Texas crude headed to Pennsylvania and propane bound for Puerto Rico. A White House official said California has seen the largest uplift, with about 23 million additional barrels delivered versus 8 million in the comparable stretch a year earlier.

In total since the waiver began, an estimated 90 million additional barrels of cargo - predominantly refined fuel - have moved between U.S. ports, with the biggest gains in gasoline, crude oil, and renewable fuel, the official said. The current waiver period alone has enabled about 13 million barrels of shipments, with more than one third gasoline and about 28% crude oil.

The bigger backdrop and investor takeaways

The move signals ongoing concern inside the administration about elevated energy costs linked to the war in Iran, and follows midterms in which Democrats trounced Republicans amid voter focus on the cost of living. It also extends what officials describe as the longest and broadest Jones Act waiver in more than seven decades. Historically, presidents have granted short, targeted waivers after hurricanes or pipeline outages disrupted fuel flows.

The policy covers products such as jet fuel, gasoline, naphtha, crude oil, soy oil, liquefied natural gas, and fertilizers. The bottom line: another 90 days of coastwise shipping flexibility could keep regional fuel flows steadier, while the voyage-by-voyage screen constrains how far that relief spreads across refined products and crude. Those shifts can filter into local supply, price differentials and the energy and transport exposure in your portfolio.

Learning new tools can quietly improve decision making in ever evolving markets. On 11/17, our CEO Jaspreet Singh goes live for our first ever investor livestream on how to use ChatGPT and Claude to invest like a pro. Register to join him.