We have written in these pages that it is impossible to fully capture the Jones Act, the US cabotage law that is both embattled and firmly entrenched in a debate over free trade versus protectionism. After all, it is a law aimed primarily at meeting the needs of the US national defence. But what if a debate was held that focused solely on that national security lynchpin as the most controversial element of the law?
Some shipping industry stakeholders say they do not oppose most pillars of the Jones Act and question only the US-build requirement.
