(WASHINGTON D.C.) — Amid rising energy prices, including crude oil back near the $100 per barrel mark, the White House on Wednesday has announced they are temporarily lifting limits on the shipping of oil, gas and other commodities.
According to CNN, the move to waive the Jones Act “will allow foreign-flagged ships to transport the commodities between US ports for the next 60 days” which could help “ease the flow of energy products throughout the country amid the US’ ongoing efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.” That news was confirmed by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt in a post on X.
“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.
POLITICO had reported last week that the White House was considering waiving the century-old law that promotes the use of American vessels in maritime commerce, as the Trump administration faces rising fuel prices amid the ongoing war in Iran.
CNN added that the Jones Act “typically requires any goods transported between US ports to be carried by US-flagged ships. Energy analysts have projected that lifting that restriction for now could help somewhat ease prices in the short term, though there is little that the US can do to completely offset the loss of supply in the Middle East outside of fully reopening the Strait of Hormuz.”
