President Donald Trump authorized a moratorium on the federal Jones Act which ordinarily restricts maritime commerce. The Jones Act allows US-flagged ships unimpeded flow whereas foreign-flagged container ships are prohibited.
According to the Maritime Law Center, the Jones Act, also known as the Merchant Marine Act of 1920 (46 USC Section 883), has a staple clause known as “coastwise trade.” Defined, coastwise trade regulates any US-flagged vessel conducting maritime commerce from one US port to another US port. The Jones Act prohibits any foreign-built or foreign-flagged vessel from engaging in coastwise trade within the United States without maritime restrictions and federal oversight.
Any and all aid from the United States and other countries serves a unified effort to offer salvation and resources to commence rebuilding the US territory.
Given our nation’s heightened defenses against terrorism and similar threats, it is presumed the Department of Homeland Security and federal maritime law enforcement authorities such as the US Coast Guard will board and inspect foreign vessels before cabotage is granted in US waters. Cabotage rights contain “the right of a company from one country to trade in another country.”
Breaking News: The Trump administration said that it would waive the Jones Act for Puerto Rico https://t.co/n1ZKGzwF6y
— The New York Times (@nytimes) September 28, 2017
Lifting the Jones Act so that Puerto Rico’s long-term recovery projections can be infused with products from other contributing nations is a boost to the island whose 3.6 million residents were spiraled into ruinous and uninhabitable conditions brought about by Hurricane Maria.
As the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), US armed forces, law enforcement agencies, and search and rescue organizations trickled onto the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, various supplies were provided.
The focus for #Maria continues to be:
-Rescues & medical missions
-Clearing debris
-Restoring comms & power
-Maintaining flow of supplies pic.twitter.com/gbm9xu49vd— FEMA (@fema) September 28, 2017
However, the decimation caused by Hurricane Maria soon after being brushed by Hurricane Irma reaches unimaginable proportions requiring vast amounts of resources. The Department of Defense has been instrumental in deploying factions of our military to Puerto Rico, whose presence and resource allocations are steadily making it to the island by way of Air Force cargo holds:
.@USAirForce #airmen load a #C17 with food and💧 at @JBSALackland in support of #HurricaneMaria #ReliefEfforts in #PuertoRico and #StCroix. pic.twitter.com/LXB3lENo1p
— Department of Defense 🇺🇸 (@DeptofDefense) September 28, 2017
That is where suspending the Jones Act becomes paramount. Any and all aid from the United States and other countries serves a unified effort to offer salvation and resources to commence rebuilding the US territory. Much is bandied about regarding how the US government ordinarily treated Puerto Rico as a second-class citizen. Despite the varying perspectives about Puerto Rico’s governance and how the US views its covenants to the Commonwealth, the time to come together and set the course is now.
