b'4American Journal ofTransportation ajot.com(ADRIFTcontinued from page 2) Jones Act comes from the legacy of wasnothingnewastheblue-waterthe legislations parts or goalshow (ocean)segmentoftheAmericantheJones Actimpactsshipbuilding, merchant marine frequently fell intoblue water shipping, inland and Great deep troughs from under investmentLakesshippinganddefenseopera-with a resulting loss of US flag ton- tions.Andhowthesevariousroles nage and jobs. interactandfitwithintheUScom-The maritime shortfall led to themerce both domestic and international creationoftheUSShippingBoard a fit that over the century plus of which triggered an emergency wartimethelegislationsexistenceisalways shipbuilding program (not unlike thechanging with economic and geo-po-one launched in World War 2) whichlitical environment of the times. in short order successfully pumped outIn many respects, the COVID-19 hundreds of US built, flagged, ownedepidemic highlighted the supply chain and manned ships for the war effort. andthemaritimesectorsroleand Not wanting to suffer through alifted the Jones Acts visibility to the similar decline in American flag com- general public. In June of 2022 then mercial shipping and shipbuilding inFederal Maritime Commission (FMC) theeventofanotherwar,theJonescommissioner(andnowPresidentof Act was promulgated to provide thethe DC-based National Association of regulatory underpinnings of a strongWaterfront Employers [NAWE]) Carl Americanbuilt,owned,flaggedandBentzelsaidattheMaritimeTradesPort Freeport welcomed the inaugural U.S. call of the M/V Chiquita Horizon on September 19, manned[althoughnotnecessarilyDepartment (MTD) convention in Phil- 2025, at the Velasco Container Terminal. fully with US citizens] merchant fleet.adelphia that the COVID-19 pandemic A merchant fleet that could in timesspotlighted the essential character ofbeathreattoournationalsecurity. ofwarserveasSenatorJoneshim- transportation.TheUSMerchantAs Mike Stevens, CEO of the Navy selfsaidatthetime,asthefourthMarineisanessentialcomponentofLeagueoftheUnitedStates,has armofdefense.AndwithWorldourindustrialbaseandoursecurity.observed,Oppositiontoalawas War1ending(1918)shortlyafterWecantrelyonforeignshippingimportant as the Jones Act is a peace-thewartimeUSShippingBoardstoprovideournationsobjectives.timeluxurythatquicklyevaporates shipbuildingspreegotunderway,Adding, It was always something thatwhen American security is at stake.there were plenty of freshly built andoffended me, that we would considerItisworthnotingthatAMPs unemployed ships to add to the newlycedingourterritory,ournavigablemembershipincludesvesselowners mintedJonesActfleet.However,waters, to some foreign nation. and operators, shipboard and shoreside almost immediately in the post-WW1But Bentzel is hardly alone in hisworkers, shipbuilders and repair yards, global economy there were now morestrong defense of the Jones Act.equipment manufacturers and vendors, ships than freight, a familiar refrain inJennifer Carpenter in an op ed arti- dredging and marine construction con-the shipping business.cle in the AJOT on October 22, 2025,tractors,maritimetradeassociations ontheJones Actwrote,Repealingandnationalsecurityorganizations. L egacy in theL egiSLation Carl Bentzel, President of thethe Jones Act would not just destroy aAnd by the AMPs measure there are MuchofthedebateovertheNational Association of Waterfront Employers vital sector of our economy; it would(ADRIFTcontinued on page 6)Your Partner to Puerto Rico32GSAILI NS SINCE20133-4 Days 2-3 Days 1-2 DaysHouston7 DaysFortnightly, non-stop serviceSanbetween Houston and San Juan 7 Days JuanWidest intermodal coverage of West, Southwest, and Midwest regionsMore than 320 sailings since 2013with 95+ percent on-time reliability 900 miles closer and a two-day faster transit than from East Coast ports [email protected]'