Comer, other Republican leaders ask Trump to let Jones Act waiver expire

Congressman James Comer was joined by Speaker of the House Mike Johnson from Louisiana and other Republican lawmakers as they sent a letter to the Trump Administration asking to let the waiver to the Jones Act expire.

The Jones Act is a maritime law that requires waterborne shipping in the U.S. to be undertaken aboard U.S.-built vessels and sailed by American mariners. It was enacted to protect shipping along the nation's waterways from foreign competitors subsidized by foreign governments, who would undercut domestic shipping companies and shipbuilders. A waiver was issued to help offset rapidly rising fuel and fertilizer costs.

The legislators also asked for additional policy changes to help bolster the long-term health of the shipping and shipbuilding industry, both big parts of the economy in Paducah, McCracken County, and western Kentucky. They emphasized the national security and economic impacts, and are seeking other ways to tackle the rising costs of fuel and fertilizer.

The lawmakers wrote to President Trump, “We appreciate your longstanding support and attention to the challenges facing our domestic shipping industry. As you outlined in your visionary Maritime Action Plan (MAP), a strong maritime industrial base is essential to the nation's economic and national security, particularly as the United States works to reinforce its global strategic position. Your acknowledgement in the MAP that less than one percent of new commercial ships are built in the United States underscores the importance of protecting durable domestic maritime policy and safeguarding against foreign encroachment in our nation's waterways. Our nation's strongest shield against foreign exploitation of American waterways is the Jones Act, which requires vessels transporting cargo between U.S. ports to be American-built, American-owned, American-crewed, and American-flagged."  

In a release, they quote statistics from the Army Corps of Engineers that some 760 million tons of agricultural products, essential commodities, and energy resources are moved annually along U.S. waterways. The Maritime Administration said their data indicates that of all the Jones Act waiver shipments, 95 percent were transported by foreign operators.

In their letter, the lawmakers said that the loophole had been exploited by the foreign entities to the detriment of the domestic industry. They urged the administration to let the waiver expire on August 16th.  They concluded, “We stand ready to support your continued efforts to strengthen American economic and maritime dominance."

Photo of the shipyard at James Marine, courtesy of James Marine, Inc website