The Jones Act And The Debt Crisis [View all]
Another article from VOX
The Jones Act, the obscure 1920 shipping regulation strangling Puerto Rico, explained
Protectionism and exploitation at its worst.
The island of Puerto Rico is devastated, with millions lacking power, infrastructure destroyed, homes damaged, and an entire years worth of agricultural output essentially ruined. Like any disaster-struck place, it will be in need of supplies brought it from elsewhere in the country.
But getting goods from the US mainland to Puerto Rico is much more expensive than sending them to Texas or even to other Caribbean islands as a result of a century-old man-made disaster thats been crippling the islands economy for a long time.
Meet the Jones Act, an obscure 1920 regulation that requires that goods shipped from one American port to another be transported on a ship that is American-built, American-owned, and crewed by US citizens or permanent residents.
For most Americans, this isnt a big deal it enriches a small number of American shipowners while introducing some weird distortions into the overall pattern of economic activity in the United States.
More:
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/9/27/16373484/jones-act-puerto-rico