Trump Extends Jones Act Waiver for 90 Days Amid Iran War Disruptions

US President Donald Trump has extended for 90 days a waiver allowing foreign-flagged ships to transport oil and other commodities between US ports, but imposed new limits after shipbuilders and their allies in Congress argued the policy was undermining the domestic maritime industry.

The extension comes as the war with Iran disrupts global crude flows and pushes up fuel costs, increasing pressure on the administration to find ways to ease transportation bottlenecks and keep gasoline and other energy prices from rising further.

According to White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers, data shows the waiver has driven a significant increase in domestic deliveries of essential products such as gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel.

The new terms require individual voyages to undergo case-by-case review rather than allowing foreign ships to receive blanket exemptions from the Jones Act, which requires cargo moving between US ports to be carried on ships built in the US, owned by US companies, and crewed by American workers.