President Donald Trump's Jones Act waiver allowing fuel and crude barrels to be moved between US ports had a limited impact on high domestic gasoline prices amid higher freight rates and smaller shipment volumes, according to a Reuters analysis on Wednesday.
In March, President Donald Trump eased restrictions under the century-old Jones Act, allowing foreign-flagged ships to transport crude and fuel between domestic ports to support coastal fuel supplies.
The waiver aimed to increase shipments from Gulf Coast refiners to East and West Coast markets, where refinery shortages and limited pipeline access continue to tighten fuel availability.
National gasoline prices climbed to $4.49 per gallon Tuesday from below $3 before the Iran conflict erupted in late February, while California averaged $6.11 per gallon, the analysis added, citing American Automobile Association data.
According to the White House, data compiled since the first Jones Act waiver was granted indicate that more supply could reach US ports more quickly. Administration officials are reportedly happy with the waiver's results and have conveyed to the oil industry that future extensions may be granted, sources told Reuters.
Federal figures showed Valero (VLO) and Phillips 66 (PSX) used the exemptions about 50 times during the first two months, transporting 2.6 million barrels of crude alongside 7.5 million barrels of refined fuels.
Because disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz pushed tanker rates sharply higher, the waiver delivered only modest shipping savings while transported volumes remained small compared with nationwide fuel demand.
University of Chicago energy policy professor Ryan Kellogg said that unusually high freight costs and a shortage of available international tankers made it difficult to secure vessels.
American Maritime Partnership President Jennifer Carpenter said the waiver failed to "lower prices at the pump, and materially increase the flow of product across the country."
White House officials viewed the waiver positively after additional fuel cargoes reached domestic ports faster, while administration sources signaled openness to extending the measure if needed, according to the analysis.
Over 60% of gasoline and blendstock shipments transported under the waiver were delivered to California, totaling roughly 3 million barrels, or about 2.1 million gallons per day, federal data showed.
Shipments into California, Alaska, Florida, South Carolina and Oregon combined averaged approximately 84,000 barrels daily, compared with total US fuel consumption near 8.75 million barrels per day, the analysis added.
Argus data showed that foreign-flagged vessels moving fuel from the US Gulf Coast to the West Coast could reduce shipping costs by about 6.6 cents per gallon, or nearly 1% of California gasoline prices, while Jones Act tankers remained cheaper on East Coast routes due to strong Asian vessel demand.
The waiver also altered shipping patterns, with one US tanker carrying Alaskan crude to South Korea in April for its first international voyage since 2014, while industry sources warned that foreign competition on domestic routes could tighten US tanker availability further.
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