The Merchant Marine Act was passed nearly 100 years ago. The law continues to haunt or to help the commercial shipping industry. It all depends on which side of the ship you’re on.
The law is a ‘preference’ for the U.S. shipping industry requiring, among other things, that vessels transiting between U.S. ports be built in the United States, carry a U.S. flag, employ an American crew and have an American owner. Almost a century later, the law better known as the Jones Act, remains on its feet despite some heavyweight opponents, many of whom point to the effects of the law, including two stark examples this year.
