Waivers of Jones Act Shipping Requirements
Abstract
On September 28, the Trump Administration issued a temporary waiver of the Jones Act (section 27 of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920) to facilitate response to the severe damage caused by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. In recent weeks, the Administration issued similar waivers affecting Texas and Louisiana, following Hurricane Harvey, and affecting Florida, following Hurricane Irma. This CRS Insight is intended to clarify the process and requirements for obtaining waivers of this law. The Jones Act requires that vessels transporting goods or passengers between U.S. points be built in the United States, at least 75% owned by U.S. citizens, and mostly crewed by U.S. citizens. The U.S. Virgin Islands is exempted from the law (as is American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands), while Puerto Rico is exempted for passengers but not for cargo.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 29, 2017
- Accession Number
- AD1172122
Entities
People
- John Frittelli
Organizations
- Library of Congress