Energy & Environment Newsletter

Jones Act waiver extended in bid to lower fuel prices

by Rachel Frazin - 04/24/26 6:31 PM ET

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by Rachel Frazin - 04/24/26 6:31 PM ET

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Energy & Environment

The Big Story

Jones Act waiver extended

in bid to lower fuel prices

The Trump administration announced on Friday it was issuing a 90-day extension to its waiver of the Jones Act, which requires shipping between U.S. ports to be conducted by American ships, in an effort to lower fuel prices.

“New data compiled since the initial waiver was issued revealed that significantly more supply was able to reach U.S. ports faster,” White House assistant press secretary Taylor Rogers said in a post on social platform X.

The move comes as fuel prices have spiked amid the Iran war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which normally sees roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil passing through it.

Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was up to $105 per barrel on Friday, while West Texas Intermediate, the U.S. benchmark, sat at $95. The national average for gas prices was at $4 per gallon on Friday, according to AAA.

The administration’s original move to waive the law’s requirement was expected to generate modest savings for drivers at the pump by allowing gasoline to be shipped more cheaply. The extension is likely to keep those savings in place.

In 2022, JPMorgan projected that a Jones Act waiver could save East Coast drivers about 10 cents per gallon.

Read more here, from The Hill’s Julia Manchester.

Welcome to The Hill’s Energy & Environment newsletter, I’m Rachel Frazin — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains.

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Jones Act waiver extended in bid to lower fuel prices​

Jones Act waiver extended in bid to lower fuel prices