Trump Waives Jones Act for 60 Days to Help Ease Gas Prices
The Jones Act shouldn’t even exist.
President Donald Trump has waived the Jones Act for 60 days to bring down gas prices.
“This action will allow vital resources like oil, natural gas, fertilizer, and coal to flow freely to U.S. ports for sixty days, and the Administration remains committed to continuing to strengthen our critical supply chains,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote on X.
The 1920 Jones Act shouldn’t even exist anymore.
The act only allows U.S.-flagged and built ships “to transport cargo between U.S. ports.”
The ships must also be “mostly owned and crewed by Americans.”
Not a shock that President Woodrow Wilson (I hate that guy) signed the Jones Act into law. He wanted to encourage U.S. shipbuilding after World War I.
Yeah, well, it hinders competition, leading to higher costs for goods and higher operational costs.
Fewer than 100 vessels comply with the Jones Act.
Yes. Fewer than 100!!
One White House official told Bloomberg that the waiver includes the following:
- Coal
- Crude Oil
- Refined petroleum products
- Natural gas
- Natural gas liquids
- Fertilizer
- Anything using refined petroleum products as a primary feedstock and other energy derivatives
Oil prices continue to fluctuate, causing gas prices to react the same.
Operation Epic Fury has led to oil infrastructure damage and has mostly shut down the Strait of Hormuz.
I will update this post when more information comes out.
[Featured image via YouTube]
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Comments
The Jones Act smells of rent-seeking and protectionism. Maybe I’m wrong and it is indeed good, but I suspect it’s past it’s sell-by date.
And how is that any different from any other policy that prefers American goods and services over foreign ones?
“its sell-by” Got apostrophe happy there.
I’m jonesing some cheap gas… 🙂
Whatever can be done to reduce gas prices should be aggressively pursued. Biden used our strategic reserves for political gain – why shouldn’t Trump do the same?
Newsom’s agitprop group is having a high time of it all – don’t dismiss the effect it has on swing voters – it all matters right now.
He is using some just recently, but they got pretty depleted by Biden’s shameful bleeding of the SPR for no reason other than to hide disastrous energy policies.
Are you kidding? That’s Roman Empire old. Nobody who even reads the Democrat side of a ballot remembers that anymore.
Another Wilson and Roosevelt legacy of a thumbed economy by government decree.
What are the differences between “America First” and the Jones Act?
America First is about what’s best for its country and its people.
The Jones Act is about what’s best for a damp special interest.
Ok, but the Jones Act was bad policy before this conflict for the same reason it is now.
How is it bad policy?
The Jones Act is a classic example of cronyist protectionism: it imposes heavy government mandates on private commerce (U.S.-built, U.S.-crewed, U.S.-owned ships for domestic routes) in the name of “national security,” yet delivers concentrated benefits to a small, politically connected maritime lobby while dispersing higher costs across American consumers, businesses and energy users.
This violates principles of limited government, free enterprise, and fiscal responsibility. Instead of fostering genuine competitiveness through innovation and open markets, it creates an uncompetitive, high-cost industry shielded from foreign (and even domestic) competition, driving up shipping expenses that ripple into everyday prices for goods, fuel, and groceries.
The national security rationale is particularly weak: the U.S. merchant fleet has shrunk dramatically under the Act’s watch, not grown stronger, and modern logistics plus targeted subsidies or direct naval investments could secure sealift needs far more efficiently without burdening the broader economy. In short, it’s textbook rent-seeking that harms the many to prop up the few, contrary to the preference for market-driven strength over regulatory favoritism.
That’s hard to get a handle on Mr Broom.
Woodrow Wilson did not sign it, his wife Edith did. By that time Woodrow was Joe Biden, and his presidency was run by his wife.
And Kent is run by his dumb leftist wife.
Tom wouldnt like this
“Yeah, well, it hinders competition, leading to higher costs for goods and higher operational costs.”
Now do tariffs.
Tariffs are adjustable. The Jones Act is rigid. Does that answer your question?
I disagree that the Jones Act hinders competition. It hinders GLOBALISM and out-sourcing. The problem isn’t the Jones Act, it’s that so many other methods of transport are available and not allowing cheap foreign laborers and cheap foreign boats makes them more fiscally attractive.
Someone who is all in on “America First” should understand that.
(Fine, impose a tariff on foreign companies moving goods intra-American-ports. Is that a better option?)
Let the Supreme Court figure it out. They’re good crystal gazing, peep-stoning and divining intent.
SCOTUS? Multiple the 3 Stooges by 3 and that’s what we have on the Supreme Court
Especially Jackson. But don’t ask her what a woman is. She has no biology degree.
Is that going to matter? Oil traders going to bid it up anyway. Trump needs to wrap this up or lose mid-terms?
Yet the prices in my area keep going up. Gas is up almost a full dollar here in the South East.
Three dollar gas in Kansas. Three sixty five in Texas. I did some traveling over the last few days.
Due to insane policies implemented by the Democrats who control our state government in WA, our gas price has not been below $5/gal in some time. Partly due to state gas taxes and partly due to their nutty “climate change” carbon auctions. But today I see local prices hit $5.999/gal. That’s about a 70-cent per gallon increase in a very short time. Yowza.
And the left is all up in arms about it . . . . but weren’t they the same ones who wanted gas prices to be like Europe’s? I recall Obama had some goofy advisor who nattered on about such things.