What EIA Reported
EIA says waterborne crude oil and petroleum-product shipments from the Gulf Coast to the West Coast more than quadrupled year over year in April and May after a limited Jones Act waiver expanded the group of vessels eligible to move covered cargo between U.S. ports. April West Coast movements reached 190,000 barrels per day, up from less than 30,000 b/d in January and February and more than double the prior record.
The East Coast route was larger. EIA reports a record 1.2 million b/d in April, 11% above the pre-waiver record. Gasoline blending components reached 620,000 b/d and distillate reached 220,000 b/d, both records. Total East Coast waterborne movements declined 12% in May, while crude shipments reached a separate record of 180,000 b/d.
| Route or Product | Official Source Fact | Buyer Read |
|---|---|---|
| Gulf Coast to West Coast | 190,000 b/d in April, up from less than 30,000 b/d in January and February | KilowattLogic calculates a lower-bound increase of 160,000 b/d and a more-than-sixfold flow level, without assuming it continued after May. |
| Gulf Coast to East Coast | Record 1.2 million b/d in April, 11% above the pre-waiver record | Florida and other East Coast fuel users may be more exposed to waterborne supply logistics than a national inventory headline suggests. |
| Gasoline blending components | Record 620,000 b/d to the East Coast in April | Fleet and delivered-goods budgets should track product-specific supply and surcharge terms rather than crude alone. |
| Distillate fuel | Record 220,000 b/d to the East Coast in April | Diesel-heavy logistics, construction, and backup-generation plans have the clearest direct procurement connection. |
The Waiver Is A Historical Boundary
CBP's April 24 guidance extended the covered-product loading window through 11:59 p.m. EDT on August 16. That deadline has passed. The EIA data describe April and May movements, not current vessel eligibility or a forecast that record flows will continue. A future waiver, policy change, or updated Petroleum Supply Monthly release would require a new source review.
Direct Fuel Exposure
Review diesel surcharges, delivered-product clauses, fleet budgets, and backup-generation fuel plans where product logistics reach operating cost directly.
Not A Price Forecast
Shipment volume is one supply-path input. Inventories, refinery operations, product spreads, freight, taxes, and local contracts still determine delivered cost.
What Commercial Buyers Can Use
- Separate product risk: gasoline components, distillate, crude, and renewable diesel serve different operating exposures.
- Review logistics clauses: fleet, freight, supplier-delivery, and backup-fuel terms are a clearer application than a general electricity-price assumption.
- Watch Florida and coastal supply paths: EIA notes Florida relies heavily on waterborne receipts from Gulf Coast refining centers.
- Wait for new evidence: use later EIA monthly data or official waiver guidance before claiming that the elevated flows persisted.
What Not To Infer
- The limited waiver is not presented as active after its August 16 loading deadline.
- April-May shipment records do not guarantee lower gasoline, diesel, jet-fuel, or crude prices.
- The national flow data do not establish an electricity-rate, natural-gas-price, supplier-offer, or customer-specific bill outcome.
Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration Today in Energy, August 17, 2026; EIA Petroleum Supply Monthly and inter-PADD waterborne movements; U.S. Customs and Border Protection waiver guidance, April 24, 2026. Retrieved August 18, 2026.