(WASHINGTON) — The American Maritime Partnership (AMP) stated its opposition Thursday to the Trump administration’s move to extend its waiver of the Jones Act another 90 days. A 60-day waiver was issued on March 17 in response to energy market volatility amid the U.S.-Israel war against Iran.
“This extension of an already historically long and ineffective Jones Act waiver is not only an affront to hundreds of thousands of hardworking Americans who put this country first every single day, it sabotages President Trump’s agenda to restore American maritime dominance,” said Jennifer Carpenter, president of the American Maritime Partnership. “Waiving the Jones Act exports American jobs to foreign carriers, allows them to skirt U.S. laws, and exposes the nation to national security threats by opening our maritime borders.”
Waiving domestic shipping laws cannot change the price of crude oil on world markets – the primary driver of what Americans pay at the pump. The Jones Act’s estimated impact is just one-tenth of 1 cent per gallon – a negligible share compared to taxes and refining costs.
According to White House data shared with Axios, over 9 million barrels of fuel have been shipped under the waiver. The administration has not disclosed what kinds of fuel this number includes. In 2023, the United States consumed an average of about 20.25 million barrels of petroleum per day, meaning waiver shipments represent only about 10 hours’ worth of fuel use over the entire country.
Jones Act vessels move petroleum products between U.S. ports, providing a reliable, American-controlled supply route that is insulated from foreign chokepoints. The U.S.-flagged fleet includes more than 45,000 containerships, freighters, tankers, articulated tug barges, offshore supply vessels, dredges, tugboats and barges. Over 100 of these vessels are American tankers and articulated tug-barges used to deliver fuel to Americans all across the country at stable, reliable rates.
– American Maritime Partnership
