KEY TAKEAWAYS: Trump administration extends Jones Act waiver for another 90 days Waiver aims to ease rising oil and shipping costs tied to Iran conflict Jones Act requires U.S.-built and operated ships for domestic cargo Officials say waiver helped increase supply flow to U.S. ports   T he Trump administration is extending the Jones Act waiver for 90 days. The administration had put a halt on the 1920 law on March 18 to help ease the cost of oil, gas and other commodities amid the armed conflict with Iran in the Strait of Hormuz that has push oil prices up. On Friday, April 24, a White House spokeswoman announced the waiver will be extended for 90 more days. “New data compiled since the initial waiver was issued revealed that significantly more supply was able to reach U.S. ports faster,” the spokeswoman, Taylor Rogers said on X. Here’s what to know. What’s the Jones Act? The Jones Act, or the Merchant Marine Act, is a law from 1920 that regulates shipping between U.S. seaports. The law requires that only American ships carry cargo between American ports. That means that any cargo ship transporting merchandise between U.S. seaports, must be a vessel built in the U.S., owned by a U.S. company, crewed mainly by U.S. citizens, and flagged in the U.S. The law doesn’t affect continental United States much, as most transportation of goods happens via ground. The Jones Act mainly affects cargo to and from Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Alaska and Guam. This 1920 law was created after World War I to reduce dependency on foreign ships in times of war and strengthen the shipping industry. Cargo carried between a port in a foreign country and the U.S. does not need to meet Jones Act requirements. So a ship carrying goods from the U.K. into the U.S., for example, doesn’t need to be an American ship. Did Trump suspend the Jones Act? When first announced, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the waiver is meant to “mitigate the short-term disruptions to the oil market as the U.S. military continues meeting the objectives of Operation Epic Fury.” U.S. freight fleet is more expensive than foreign cargo ship companies. Juan Carlos Castillo is a New Jersey-based trending reporter for the USA Today Network. This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: What is the Jones Act and why it was suspended? What to know now Reporting by Juan Carlos Castillo, USA TODAY NETWORK / Asbury Park Press USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect ...read more read less