The Jones Act Is Essential for U.S. National Security

Before World War I, the United States relied on a combination of U.S.-flagged vessels and foreign vessels to conduct trade across the Atlantic, in U.S. coastal waters, and across our inland waterways.  As the Great War approached, allied and enemy countries alike withdrew their vessels from U.S. commerce to aid their own war efforts. Our potential adversaries also wanted to hamstring the U.S. economically by disrupting maritime trade.