Overview
- Officials have told oil and shipping companies to prepare for a possible waiver that would let foreign tankers move fuel from the Gulf Coast to East Coast ports.
- Press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the option is under consideration on national‑defense grounds, noting no decision has been finalized.
- The prospective waiver could cover oil, gasoline, diesel, liquefied natural gas and fertilizer, targeting bottlenecks created by the Iran conflict and Hormuz disruptions.
- The move accompanies a release of 172 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve within an International Energy Agency effort totaling about 400 million barrels.
- Analysts expect only modest pump relief—generally a few cents to roughly 10 cents per gallon—and industry groups tied to U.S. shipbuilding could resist the step, which has been used sparingly after major disruptions like the 2017 hurricanes.