By Jarrett Renshaw
April 24 (Reuters) – President Donald Trump granted a 90-day extension to a shipping waiver that makes it easier to move oil, fuel and fertilizer around the United States, the White House said on Friday, the latest effort to curb rising energy costs linked to the war with Iran.
The decision adds roughly three months to the existing waiver that was set to expire on May 17, enabling foreign-flagged vessels to move commodities between U.S. ports through mid-August.
White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers confirmed on Friday that Trump had issued the extension.
“This waiver extension provides both certainty and stability for the U.S. and global economies,” Rogers said.
The Jones Act has long been a flashpoint between competing economic and national security priorities. Supporters, including U.S. shipbuilders, maritime unions and some lawmakers, argue the law is critical to maintaining a domestic shipping industry and merchant marine that can support military logistics and national security.
But critics — including energy producers, refiners and agricultural groups — say the requirement to use U.S.-built and -crewed vessels sharply raises shipping costs and limits capacity, particularly during disruptions, driving up prices for fuel and other goods.
(Reporting By Jarrett Renshaw, Editing by William Maclean and Tomasz Janowski)
