The Trump administration has issued a 60-day waiver of the Jones Act in an attempt to lower gasoline prices that have surged since the U.S. and Israel launched a war against Iran.

The Jones Act is a century-old maritime law requiring that goods shipped between U.S. ports be transported on U.S.-built and flagged vessels. Temporarily waiving this act opens up domestic shipping routes to foreign-flagged vessels, possibly reducing shipping costs and speeding up deliveries.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt posted to X: “President Trump’s decision to issue a 60-day Jones Act waiver is just another step to mitigate the short-term disruptions to the oil market as the U.S. military continues meeting the objectives of Operation Epic Fury. This action will allow vital resources like oil, natural gas, fertilizer, and coal to flow freely to U.S. ports for sixty days, and the Administration remains committed to continuing to strengthen our critical supply chains.”

However, experts say waiving the act will do little to dramatically lower gas prices. Prices at the pump are currently averaging $3.842 a gallon, according to the latest data from the American Automobile Association. That’s up about 80 cents from a month ago.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/03/18/trump-temporarily-waives-the-jones-act-to-try-to-lower-gas-prices/