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Peter Gattuso /

The Jones Act, Explained

Analyzing the effects of a century-old maritime shipping law.
American Integrity leaving port,  She is one of the thirteen 1, 000 footers in the Great Lakes laker fleet, It is a self discharging bulk carrier, Duluth, Minnesota.
American Integrity is one of the 13, 1,000-foot ships in the Great Lakes laker fleet. (Photo by: Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group/Getty Images)

Challenges posed by the Jones Act have been a recurring news story in recent years. The federal law, established by President Woodrow Wilson in 1920, requires that ships transporting goods over U.S. waters meet specific criteria: They must have been built in the U.S., operated under American ownership and crew, and fly the U.S. flag, for example.

Peter Gattuso is a former reporter for The Dispatch.

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