The absurd consequences of America's terrible trade protectionism are on full display just off the coast of Puerto Rico today, as a foreign ship full of barrels of diesel fuel is waiting to see if it will be allowed to deliver them to the hurricane-stricken island.
We are, once again, speaking of the Jones Act, technically called the Merchant Marine Act of 1920. The Jones Act requires that ships delivering goods between U.S. ports be made in America, owned by American companies, and crewed by Americans. The act is openly and plainly a protectionist law designed to shield the domestic maritime industry from foreign competition.
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