Overview
- U.S. officials said Wednesday the administration is assessing a renewal of the March 18 waiver and has not made a final decision.
- The Jones Act requires ships moving goods between U.S. ports to be U.S.-built, U.S.-flagged, and U.S.-owned, so the waiver let foreign tankers handle domestic runs during a supply squeeze.
- White House data show about 40 foreign-flagged voyages moved roughly 9 million barrels, which expanded available tanker capacity by about 70 percent.
- The policy has eased local pinch points, with Alaska set to receive jet fuel equal to about half a typical month and California recording nine deliveries to Los Angeles and Martinez, with another due April 29.
- Refiners are pressing for clarity before the waiver’s mid-May expiry, as backers and critics spar over costs, national security, and the future of U.S. shipbuilding and maritime jobs.