Merchant Marine Act of 1920

"Jones Act" redirects here. Not to be confused with Jones–Shafroth Act, Jones Law (Philippines), or Increased Penalties Act.

Merchant Marine Act of 1920
Great Seal of the United States
Other short titlesJones Act
Long titleAn act to provide for the promotion and maintenance of the American merchant marine, to repeal certain emergency legislation, and provide for the disposition, regulation, and use of property acquired thereunder, and for other purposes.
Enacted bythe 66th United States Congress
EffectiveJune 5, 1920
Citations
Public lawPub. L. 66–261
Statutes at Large41 Stat. 988
Codification
Acts repealedEmergency Shipping Act, 1917; Rate Emergency Act, 1918; Shipping Act, 1916, § 5, 7, 8;
Legislative history
  • Introduced in the Senate by Wesley Jones (R–WA)
  • Reported by the joint conference committee on June 4, 1920; agreed to by the House on June 4, 1920 (145–120) and by the Senate on June 4, 1920 (40–11)
  • Signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson on June 5, 1920

The Merchant Marine Act of 1920 is a United States federal statute that provides for the promotion and maintenance of the American merchant marine.[1] Among other purposes, the law regulates maritime commerce in U.S. waters and between U.S. ports. Section 27 of the Merchant Marine Act is known as the Jones Act and deals with cabotage (coastwise trade). It requires that all goods transported by water between U.S. ports be carried on ships that have been constructed in the United States and that fly the U.S. flag, are owned by U.S. citizens, and are crewed by U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents.[2][3] The act was introduced by Senator Wesley Jones. The law also defines certain seaman's rights.

The Merchant Marine Act of 1920 has been revised a number of times; the most recent revision in 2006 included recodification in the U.S. Code.[2]

Many economists and other experts have argued for its repeal,[4] while military and U.S. Department of Commerce officials have spoken in favor of the law on protectionist grounds.[5] Opponents of this legislation argue it reduces domestic trade via waterways (relative to other forms of trade) and increases consumer prices.[6]

The Jones Act is not to be confused with: the Death on the High Seas Act (another U.S. maritime law that does not apply to coastal and in-land navigable waters), or the Passenger Vessel Services Act of 1886 (which regulates passenger vessels, including cruise ships).

  1. ^ Pub. L. No. 66-261, 41 Stat. 988 (1920).
  2. ^ a b 46. U.S.C. § 50101 et seq. (2006).
  3. ^ Lin, Tom C.W., Americans, Almost and Forgotten, 107 California Law Review (2019)
  4. ^ Lancaster, Joe (October 26, 2022). "To Protect Privileged Shippers From Competition, the Government Fought Jones Act Waivers". reason.com. Reason. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
  5. ^ "On The Record". October 15, 2019.; "How protectionism sank America's entire merchant fleet". The Economist. October 5, 2017. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved April 20, 2019.; Krueger, Anne O. (April 19, 2019). "Mayday for American Protectionism | by Anne O. Krueger". Project Syndicate. Retrieved April 20, 2019.
  6. ^ Olney, William W. (August 29, 2020). "Cabotage sabotage? The curious case of the Jones Act" (PDF). Journal of International Economics. 127: 103378. doi:10.1016/j.jinteco.2020.103378. ISSN 0022-1996. S2CID 157063834.