Jones Act waiver for Guam requested to allow fuel shipments amid Iran conflict

Amid what national reports say is the biggest oil disruption in history, one lawmaker is asking the White House for an emergency waiver from a federal shipping law to help lower fuel costs and protect national security on the island.  In a letter sent to President Donald Trump, Senator Jesse Lujan asked for a temporary waiver from the Jones Act for fuel shipments headed to Guam.

"This will reduce the pressure of not just gas prices, but power costs, crate costs and the overall cost of living," the senator told KUAM News. "Everything is tied into the cost of fuel here in Guam and you’re going to see that."

The Jones Act is a century-old United States shipping law that requires goods moving between American ports to travel on ships that are built, owned, and crewed by Americans. Foreign vessels are subject to tariffs, which drives up costs. (That’s the case for Guam, which imports all its oil, primarily from Asia.)

"Guam is not a foreign country," pointed out Lujan. "Guam is American soil. And global conflicts disrupt energy markets. Federal policy should help American communities, not trap us behind outdated shipping regulations."

This comes as oil and fuel prices continue to fluctuate due to the Iran conflict. President Trump stated, "I will not allow a terrorist regime to hold the world hostage and attempt to stop the globe's oil supply, and if Iran does anything to do that they'll get hit at a much, much harder level."

Lujan says the waiver issue isn’t just about energy prices. He frames the request as a national security concern, adding, "We’re America’s first line of defense if we’re the tip of the spear. We are the spear basically. So I’m asking for that relief."

Guam is home to some of the United States’ most important military installations in the Indo-Pacific, and Lujan says any disruption in fuel supply could have broader implications. "How ironic that our war machines that are stationed in Guam have to rely on foreign fuel. We get all our fuel from Singapore. So that’s not really ‘America first.’ That’s not really ‘buying USA’," he said.

"I don’t see how he can turn that down."

Jones Act waivers can only be granted for national defense interests or emergencies. In the past, both the Trump and Joe Biden administrations have approved a temporary waiver for Puerto Rico to expedite disaster relief and oil shipments after major hurricanes.