The Trump administration plans to temporarily waive the century-old shipping law to alleviate the pressure of rising energy prices.

Amid tensions in the Middle East and a continuous surge in international oil prices, the US government is considering taking multiple measures to stabilize the energy market. Informed sources revealed that the Trump administration plans to temporarily waive a century-old maritime law to alleviate domestic fuel supply pressures and curb oil price increases. The US government is preparing to provide a 30-day temporary waiver for the Jones Act. This law requires ships transporting goods between US ports to be built in the US and operated by US crew members. If the waiver is implemented, foreign oil tankers will be allowed to participate in domestic energy transportation in the US, helping to transport fuel from the Gulf of Mexico coast and other areas in the US to refineries on the US East Coast. Sources said that this measure aims to increase domestic fuel transportation capacity in the US, thus alleviating the energy price increase pressure caused by the political conflicts in the GEO Group Inc. Recently, global energy supply tensions caused by the Iran war have led to a significant increase in international oil prices and US gasoline prices. To respond to energy market fluctuations, the Trump administration is evaluating various policy options. On Wednesday, the US government announced the release of 172 million barrels of strategic oil reserves. This action is part of a coordinated effort with other countries, and the overall release is expected to reach 400 million barrels to increase global market supply and stabilize oil prices. The exemption of the Jones Act is not the first time it has been used. The last time the US government issued a similar waiver was in October 2022, when temporary permission was granted for foreign oil tankers to transport aid to Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona. In addition, after the major fuel pipeline on the US East Coast was targeted in a cyberattack in 2021, the Biden administration temporarily relaxed the law for the refining company Valero Energy Corporation (VLO.US) to ensure stable fuel supply. Analysts believe that if this exemption measure is formally implemented, it will help improve the efficiency of domestic fuel transportation in the US, alleviate regional supply tensions, and to some extent, curb oil prices.