Jones Act - help or hindrance?

摘要

In the wake of the recent Deepwa-ter Horizon oil spill in the US Gulf of Mexico people high up in the echelons of maritime intelligence are asking: "Is it time to repeal the Jones Act and get help to clean up this mess?" The Jones Act, also formally known as Section 27 of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, was initially introduced post World War I in order to protect the vulnerable US shipping industry from external threats. If you ask shipping businesses and US labour unions one major benefit of the Act is the protection from foreign competition.