U.S. Energy Secretary signals likely extension of Jones Act shipping waiver

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright confirmed on August 4, 2026, that the Trump administration is likely to extend a temporary waiver of the Jones Act, a 1920 law requiring goods shipped between domestic ports to be transported on U.S.-flagged, -built, and -owned vessels. The waiver currently suspends these restrictions for energy products, including coal, crude oil, refined petroleum products, natural gas, gas liquids, fertilizer, and other energy derivatives. Wright stated during a media briefing at the Port of Brownsville in Texas that the waiver has helped lower prices by improving domestic transport efficiency. He added that the waiver is expected to end once energy flows disrupted by the Iran war return to normal. The administration’s move to extend the waiver aligns with earlier reports indicating plans to renew it. Wright emphasized the waiver’s role in facilitating energy movement across the country, reinforcing expectations for its continued temporary suspension.