Elaine Duke, acting secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agreed that effective immediately, the waiver extension applied to covered merchandise loaded on board vessels no later than 22nd September, 2017.
The extended waiver will continue to help refined petroleum products, including gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel, to be shipped from New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Arkansas to Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia and Puerto Rico.
Planned for seven days, the original waiver was specifically tailored for shipments of refined petroleum products in hurricane-affected areas. It was issued on 8th September at the recommendation of the US Departments of Defense and Energy, due to severe disruptions in the oil supply system, resulting from Hurricanes ‘Harvey’ and ‘Irma’.
The waiver now allows oil and gas operators to use foreign-flagged vessels to move petroleum cargoes within the affected areas.
Following the hurricanes, by Wednesday, Port Everglades, Port Canaveral and the Port of Tampa Bay, were all fully re-opened and prioritising the arrival of fuel tankers.
A report from Port Tampa Bay issued during the middle of this week said four tankers were discharging and another seven were expected within the next 24 hours. Port Canaveral said a fuel tanker arrived at the port last Tuesday and two more tankers were expected. Another three tankers were discharging at Port Everglades, according to an update from the Florida Ports Council on Tuesday.
US brokers claimed that there has been a flurry of chartering activity to move cargoes into the US Gulf and US Atlantic Coast and along the coasts.