Trump’s Jones Act waiver undermines his own maritime agenda

The Trump administration announced a 60-day waiver of America’s domestic shipping law, called the Jones Act. That law provides that only ships licensed and built in the U.S. can move cargo in America’s home markets. Waiving the Jones Act would allow ships licensed and built outside the United States (including by China) to take work away from Americans in our home markets. It could harm the tens of thousands of American workers and cost tens of billions of dollars invested in America’s shipping and shipbuilding industries. 

This action comes barely a month after the Trump administration unveiled an ambitious Maritime Action Plan (MAP). That plan matches well with the proposed SHIPS For America Act, which enjoys strong bipartisan support in both houses of Congress. The intention of both is to stop the decline in America’s commercial shipping and shipbuilding industries and provide a foundation for growth. Simply put, suspending the Jones