Foreign Tanker Now Shipping US Fuel Interstate After Jones Act Waiver

In a significant shift for American maritime policy, a foreign-flagged tanker is now hauling refined fuel from Washington State to California—marking one of the first times a non-US vessel has transported fuel between US states since the Trump administration waived Jones Act restrictions last month. The Marshall Islands-flagged Garnet Express, a medium-range tanker typically used for jet fuel, is sailing from Marathon Petroleum Corp.'s Anacortes Refinery in Washington to the San Francisco area, according to ship tracking data from Vortexa.

The Jones Act, a protectionist maritime law dating back nearly a century, has long required that cargo transported between US ports be carried on US-flagged vessels built and owned by American companies. This waiver represents a notable departure from that longstanding policy, opening the door for foreign vessels to compete in domestic fuel transport routes. The move comes as the Trump administration takes aim at various regulatory restrictions, with implications for shipping costs, fuel availability, and domestic maritime industries.

The Garnet Express shipment illustrates the practical impact of this policy change. By allowing foreign-flagged vessels into previously restricted routes, the administration is testing whether competition from international carriers could lower shipping costs and improve fuel distribution to California—a state that has faced periodic fuel supply constraints. However, the waiver also raises questions about its long-term effects on the US maritime industry, which has relied on Jones Act protections to maintain competitive advantage in domestic shipping.