Jones Act

Type: Concept

As of November 2026, Jones Act has been mentioned in 2 episodes across 1 podcast, first heard Sep 2020 on GLOBAL NEWS PODCAST. Presented as a 100-year-old protectionist law that increases shipping costs, harms U.S. competitiveness, and paradoxically weakened U.S. maritime capacity.

The Merchant Marine Act of 1920 is a United States federal statute that provides for the promotion and maintenance of the American merchant marine. Among other purposes, the law regulates maritime commerce in U.S. waters and between U.S. ports. Section 27 of the Merchant Marine Act is known as the Jones Act and deals with cabotage. It requires that all goods transported by water between U.S. ports be carried on ships that have been constructed in the United States, fly the U.S. flag, are owned b