The Jones Act: A Logistics Nightmare

There is a strange quirk in American shipping: goods transported between American ports but be in ships owned by American companies. Back in the 19th century when this law was passed, it was a handout to American shipping companies to keep them afloat (literally). This law has never been changed and so competition and even availability of ships has been lacking. This became noticeable during the Pandemic when ships that were available to ease the supply-chain bottle neck were available but were flagged under foreign countries and could not transport the needed goods and commodities. Obviously, it is time for this kind of act to come to an end. It adds unnecessary expense into the system and makes American supply-chains less resilient. Some might argue that is bad news for American shipping companies operating within the United States but even they must compete with the rest of the world like the rest of us.