Repealing the Jones Act

The Merchant Marine Act of 1920 (Jones Act) has crippled our merchant marine and domestic shipping capabilities to only narrow private benefit. Repeal even of manufacturing requirements alone would be transformative, starting with immediately switching traditional coastal trucking routes to cheaper, more eco-friendly and cost-efficient shipping routes, significantly reducing traffic and carbon emissions while lowering costs for domestically produced goods, improving American competitiveness and providing a noticeable bonus to economic capacity and growth. Benefits are so large that private losers could be made whole.

Please note that this topic introduction is preliminary, and more details as well as policy proposals, academic studies, data, model legislation, and other resources on this issue are forthcoming. We share this overview now to provide initial context and give readers a sense of our current perspective and approach to the issue.