Trump waives Jones Act, the shipping restriction on oil and gas, in bid to ease prices | CNN Politics

The White House is temporarily lifting key limits on the shipping of oil, gas and other commodities throughout the United States, in its latest effort to counter rising energy prices sparked by its war with Iran. The move to waive the Jones Act will allow foreign-flagged ships to transport the commodities between US ports for the next 60 days, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed in a post on X. That could ease the flow of energy products throughout the country amid the US’ ongoing efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. “This action will allow vital resources like oil, natural gas, fertilizer, and coal to flow freely to U.S. ports for sixty days,” Leavitt wrote on X. The waiver of the act – which requires goods transported between US ports be carried by US-flagged ships – was among several options under consideration by Trump administration officials over the last week as they scrambled for ways to alleviate a supply crunch that has pushed global oil prices sharply higher and raised the cost of gasoline in the US. Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz since the first days of the war, sealing off a critical waterway that handles roughly 20% of