White House Temporarily Suspends Jones Act for Iran War

0:00This is Cory with the story. Here with your quick two-minute update from Anchorage News today, the White House has issued a 60-day waiver for the Jones Act amid the war with Iran, which has driven up energy prices nationwide. This move lets foreign ships carry goods like oil, natural gas, fertilizer, and coal between U.S. ports, aiming to ease supply chain strains and cut, shipping costs. The Jones Act, around since 1920, mandates that domestic shipments use American-built, American-owned, and American-cruid vessels. Officials hope this temporary rollback speeds deliveries and offer some relief at the gas pump, where prices have jumped 92 cents a gallon in. The past month, White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt called it a short-term fix to support military goals in Operation Epic Fury while bolstering supply. Chains Time industry groups slammed the decision, warning it hurts American workers and won't lower gas prices much.

1:00Experts agree the impact on fuel costs will be tiny, maybe just fractions of a penny per gallon. They point out that oil prices mainly track global barrel costs, with shipping playing a negligible role amid taxes and other factors. Critics of the Jones Act pushed for a full repeal, arguing it creates market inefficiencies due to high U.S. shipbuilding and labor expenses. They say refineries often import oil from afar instead, and ditching the law could bring lasting savings for consumers, D&N is sponsored by our partner. What is cooler than cool, a pillow that plays your sound, S-O-L-I, solely pillow.com