AWO condemns Trump's 60-day Jones Act waiver, citing risks to supply chain, national security, and American jobs amid rising fuel prices.
The American Waterways Operators (AWO) has criticized the Trump administration's decision to grant a 60-day waiver of the Jones Act, allowing foreign-flag vessels to transport cargo between US ports, reported the American Journal of Transportation Maritime.
The AWO, representing tug and barge carriers, stated that the waiver undermines supply chain reliability and national security. It warned that foreign vessels would introduce international price volatility into domestic commerce and displace American jobs without lowering fuel costs.
President Trump, who returned to office in 2025, had previously supported a waiver during his first term. The latest move follows the Iran war, which drove up fuel prices and benefited US oil and gas producers now able to use foreign-manned ships.
The AWO statement stressed that the Jones Act ensures American mariners support the US Coast Guard's homeland security mission. It argued that waiving the law does not serve national interests and risks weakening domestic maritime capacity.
The American Maritime Partnership also voiced concern, stating that the waiver could be abused and displace US workers. It noted that the law is meant to address military emergencies, not reward foreign operators, and insisted the impact on petrol prices would be negligible.
Agricultural shippers may welcome the waiver, but it has clearly set the administration at odds with domestic maritime interests whose support it has sought to maintain.
