WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Transportation Department has completed its assessment of what ships are available to carry petroleum products from the Gulf to the Eastern Seaboard and is ready to review any Jones Act waiver requests, the White House said on Wednesday after a ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline disrupted supplies.
The Jones Act requires goods moved between U.S. ports to be carried by ships built domestically and staffed by U.S. crews.
An interagency group met Tuesday night to discuss “the latest updates on fuel supply in the affected region, and steps that agencies have taken and are considering to further alleviate the supply shortages,” White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement.
(Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
