Trump grants 90-day Jones Act waiver extension to curb energy costs

U.S. President Donald Trump granted ‌a 90-day extension to a shipping ​waiver that makes it ⁠easier to move oil, fuel and fertilizer around the United States, the White House ‌said on Friday (April 24, 2026), the latest effort to curb rising energy ‌costs linked to the ‌war ⁠with Iran. The decision adds ⁠roughly three months to the existing waiver that was set to expire on May ​17, enabling foreign-flagged vessels ‌to move commodities between U.S. ports through mid-August.

White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers confirmed on Friday (April 24, 2026) that Mr. Trump ‌had issued the extension. “This waiver ​extension provides both certainty and stability for the U.S. and ⁠global economies,” Ms. Rogers said. The Jones Act has long been a flashpoint ‌between competing economic and national security priorities. Supporters, including U.S. shipbuilders, maritime unions and some lawmakers, argue the law is critical to maintaining a domestic shipping industry and merchant ‌marine that can support military logistics ​and national security.