Republican US House members, including speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana), are urging President Donald Trump to not renew a waiver on domestic shipping requirements issued following the outbreak of the US-Iran war, according to a letter seen by Argus.
"We write to respectfully request that the current Jones Act waiver be allowed to expire as scheduled on 16 August 2026 and encourage you to utilize alternative policy tools to address fuel and fertilizer costs while preserving the strength of the American maritime industry," 52 House Republicans said in the 30 June letter.
The Merchant Marine Act of 1920, also known as the Jones Act, stipulates that shipments between US ports must be carried on vessels that are US-built, US-flagged and US-crewed. The current Jones Act waiver was first issued on 17 March on the basis of national security and was later extended by 90 days. It is unclear whether the Trump administration will decide to extend the waiver.
"Foreign-flagged vessels have operated under the waiver even in circumstances where US-flagged vessels were available, creating an understandable concern about the effect on American jobs, manufacturing and investment," the Republican lawmakers said in the letter. "The Jones Act waiver has become a loophole exploited by adversarial countries to erode America's maritime dominance."
The national security pretense of the waiver, and its potential negative effect on the US domestic shipping community at a time where the administration has made revitalizing shipbuilding a priority, has come under increased scrutiny from domestic maritime stakeholders.
