The Trump administration is considering a temporary waiver of the Jones Act, according to people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reports.

The Jones Act requires that any cargo passing through US ports be transported only on ships built in the US, sailing under the US flag, and whose crew consists of US citizens.

The respective 30-day suspension could apply to shipments of oil, gasoline, diesel fuel, liquefied natural gas, and fertilizers.

In the interest of national defense, the White House is considering waiving the Jones Act for a limited period of time to ensure vital energy products, said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

This measure is being considered amid a sharp increase in oil and gasoline prices in the US due to the war with Iran. Suspending the Jones Act could reduce fuel prices for US East Coast drivers by about 10 cents per gallon.

But experts warn that the impact could be limited, and the initiative itself could face political resistance from the shipbuilding industry and its supporters in the US Congress.