Page 19: of Marine News Magazine (July 2026)

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The Frederick Paup, built for Manson

Feature

Construction.

Dredging

U.S. DREDGING

POLICY

FALLS SHORT:

How the (latest) Jones

Act Waiver + Outdated

Environmental Restrictions

By Lillian V. Doyle he American maritime industry depends on to lower gasoline prices in the U.S., however, reporting policy that supports economic growth and in- suggests that the waiver has had only a marginal impact vestment and protects national security; howev- on fuel prices, if at all. It has contributed to tighter ves- er, recent policy decisions have too often relied sel markets and higher freight rates globally, given the in- on broad administrative actions and outdated creased demand on foreign vessels amid the circumstances

T assumptions rather than modern, data-driven approaches. of the war in Iran–the very circumstances that the waiver

The extension of the Jones Act waiver and the continued was implemented to supposedly alleviate. use of rigid seasonal dredging windows illustrate this trend. Aside from taking jobs directly from American workers,

Though distinct issues, both carry signi? cant consequenc- the waiver raises signi? cant national security concerns. Ac- es for maritime investment, operational ef? ciency, and the cording to the Shipbuilders Council of America, roughly long-term strength of the maritime industry. one-third of all completed waiver voyages have involved vessels with ties to the People’s Republic of China, whether

A Brief Discussion on the Jones Act Waiver through ownership, operation, joint-venture arrangements,

The Jones Act (Section 27 of the Merchant Marine Act) or Chinese-built hulls. For example, the Chinese-? agged law protects the domestic maritime industry from foreign vessel MV Jin Zhou Wan transported asphalt between interference in our national and economic security. It sup- Harvey, Louisiana, and New Haven, Connecticut. The ports national security interests by maintaining a reliable vessel is operated by COSCO, which has been designated supply of trained mariners who are needed during na- by the Department of Defense as a Chinese military-af? li- tional emergencies and overseas con? icts. It also fosters an ated company. Transporting asphalt in U.S. domestic trade

American manufacturing base by requiring that the ships on a Chinese-built, Chinese-owned, and Chinese-crewed be built in America and owned by U.S. companies. vessel can hardly be considered in the interest of national

In response to Iran’s blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, defense. This is especially true when American-built, Amer- on March 17, 2026, the Trump Administration issued a ican-owned, and American-crewed vessels, such as those national defense interest waiver of the Jones Act. Origi- operated by Kirby Corporation, remain available. Congres- nally set for 60 days, the waiver has been extended by an sional leaders are taking notice. additional 90 days, pushing the end date through August When Congressman Salud Carbajal (D-CA) sought 16, 2026. The waiver was predicated primarily on the need information from foreign ? agged ship operators regard- www.marinelink.com MN 19|