Congressional Leaders Urge Trump Administration to End Jones Act Waiver

Congressman James Comer (R-Ky.), Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.), and Republican lawmakers today urged the Trump Administration to allow the current Jones Act waiver to expire as scheduled, and to take additional policy steps to safeguard American shipbuilding and the long-term competitiveness of the U.S. maritime industry.

“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,” wrote the Republican lawmakers.

According to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. maritime system transports more than 760 million tons of cargo annually, including agricultural products, energy resources, and other essential