Jones Act
1920 US law restricting domestic shipping to US-built, US-crewed vessels; Trump waived it on 18 March 2026 to contain fuel prices.
Last refreshed: 14 April 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Why did Trump sign a Jones Act waiver but not a war powers directive for the Hormuz blockade?
Timeline for Jones Act
Mentioned in: 48 days of war, zero Iran executive instruments
Iran Conflict 2026Mentioned in: Twenty-seven days since Trump signed on Iran
Iran Conflict 2026Mentioned in: US fuel bills up $300m a day vs pre-war
Iran Conflict 2026Mentioned in: $140 Brent tips world into recession
Iran Conflict 2026Mentioned in: Goldman raises US recession odds to 25%
Iran Conflict 2026- What is the Jones Act and why did Trump waive it during the Iran war?
- The Jones Act (Merchant Marine Act of 1920) requires domestic US shipping to use US-built, US-crewed vessels. Trump waived it on 18 March 2026 to allow foreign-flagged tankers on domestic petroleum routes, an attempt to contain fuel prices as oil markets tightened during the Iran conflict.Source: White House presidential actions
- How many Iran war orders has Trump actually signed?
- Trump has signed exactly two Iran-related presidential instruments across 45 days of war, both on 18 March 2026: a Jones Act waiver and a PDVSA authorisation. The blockade, Ceasefire and all five Hormuz ultimatums rest on social-media posts, not signed directives.Source: White House presidential actions, Lowdown audit
- How long has the Jones Act been in force?
- The Merchant Marine Act, known as the Jones Act, was signed into law on 5 June 1920. It has been in force for over a century, requiring all domestic US waterway freight to be carried on vessels built, owned, and crewed by Americans.Source: https://www.maritime.dot.gov/
- What effect did the Jones Act waiver have on US fuel prices in 2026?
- Trump's 18 March 2026 Jones Act waiver allowed foreign-flagged tankers on US domestic petroleum routes as oil markets tightened during the Iran conflict. The measure was intended to ease upward pressure on consumer fuel prices by increasing domestic supply options.Source: https://www.whitehouse.gov/
Background
The Jones Act, formally the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, requires that goods shipped between US domestic ports must be transported on vessels that are US-built, US-owned, US-crewed and US-flagged. The law has been a persistent constraint on US energy logistics, most visibly during supply disruptions when the fleet of qualifying tankers is insufficient to meet domestic demand and temporary waivers are required.
On 18 March 2026, President Trump signed a Jones Act waiver as one of two Iran-related presidential instruments across 45 days of war. The waiver authorises foreign-flagged tankers to move petroleum products between US ports, a measure designed to contain domestic fuel price rises as global oil markets tightened during the early weeks of the Iran conflict. It was paired with an authorisation for Venezuela's PDVSA to resume sales to American refiners.
The Jones Act waiver is the only signed presidential instrument related to US energy supply policy since the blockade of Hormuz began. The blockade itself, the Ceasefire declaration and five Hormuz ultimatums all rest on social-media posts rather than signed directives, creating a stark contrast between the careful paperwork of the Jones Act waiver and the informal legal basis of the military operation it was designed to support economically.
