President Donald J. Trump
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President,
The undersigned individuals write to applaud your decision to waive the Jones Act through November 15, allowing foreign-flagged vessels to continue transporting covered commodities to Americans. This action promotes energy dominance and mitigates supply disruptions as global supply disruptions continue. At a time when energy prices remain a concern for American families, your decision has paid off commendably for our nation. We hope you will continue this winning policy.
Jones Act waivers have helped keep essential goods moving across the country, including oil, natural gas, fertilizer, and other resources Americans rely on. Shippers have leveraged this flexibility to transport millions of barrels of gasoline and diesel fuel to U.S. markets, helping strengthen domestic supply chains and meet consumer demand. As a result, these vessels have delivered more petroleum products to the West Coast than in any year on record.[1]
In the face of ongoing disruptions in energy supplies, we encourage you to announce an extension of your Jones Act waiver. Acting now would allow Americans to plan ahead to unleash additional supplies of diesel fuel, heating oil, and other goods. It is particularly imperative that the waiver remain in place during the coming cold weather months.
Your previous waivers have reduced the regulatory burdens the Jones Act imposes on the maritime and energy sectors. This law requires cargo shipped domestically over water to be carried on vessels that are U.S.-built, owned, and crewed, even when more cost-effective options are available. However, it allows the Secretary of War to request a waiver of the Jones Act when “necessary in the interest of national defense to address an immediate adverse effect on military operations.”[2] You have utilized this provision to issue three consecutive waivers beginning on March 17. These waivers launched 311 voyages through October 15.[3]
We urge you to make your next waiver even stronger. The most recent extension added a new regulation requiring shippers to receive prior approval for shipments. This requirement is significantly weakening your efforts to bolster domestic shipping. Just 19 voyages have been authorized under this stricter waiver.[4]
Therefore, we encourage you to strengthen the next waiver by reinstating the initial approval process that worked so effectively under your leadership. Future waivers could be further bolstered by extending them for longer time periods and by expanding the categories of goods that may be transported.
You have our ongoing, vigorous, and vocal support for your decision to waive the Jones Act. Extending and strengthening your most recent waiver would help America respond to potential supply interruptions or price increases resulting from conflict in the Middle East as well as future emergencies.
We are most grateful for your consideration of our request.
Sincerely,
[1] Colin Grabow, Cato Institute Jones Act Waiver Tracker.
[2] U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration, Waiver of the Navigation Laws - 46 U.S.C. § 501.
[3] U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration, 501c Waiver Report, 17 MAR 2026 and 18 MAY 2026 Extension, October 15, 2026.
[4] U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration, 501c Waiver Report, 17 AUG 2026 Extension, October 15, 2026.