The Jones Act Tax Makes Shipping More Expensive

Added: 2026-05-16

[00:00:00]Because we've made water transportation so costly, we that results in a shift in transportation away from it towards things like trucking, towards rail. That makes those both more expensive, more congested. Classic case here, the you know, I-95 along the East Coast.

[00:00:20]What if we had access to efficient shipping along our coasts? I mean, right now, if you want to take a container and ship it, say from Boston to Houston, there are no Jones Act container ships that operate along our coast. Every single Jones Act container ship goes out to the non-contiguous states and territories.

[00:00:37]This means, you know, more congestion, a lost productivity, it means more pollution, especially in populated areas. You know, if we're going to have pollution, I'd prefer it be out at sea than right near where people live. Also means more maintenance of highways. So, you know, these are all costs that need to be considered.