GAO Jones Act Report to be Released Next Week

by Michael Hansen, Hawaii Shippers Council  

According to sources close to the study, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) is now indicating that they will issue their long awaiting report on the economic impact of the Jones Act on Puerto Rico, on Thursday, March 14, 2013, after missing their initial deadline of February 28, 2013.

Caribbean Business, an English Language newspaper in Puerto Rico, is reporting the GAO will release their Puerto Rico Jones Act study next week and provides additional information on its importance to Puerto Rico.

The GAO Puerto Rico Jones Act study and report will be an important milestone in the debate over whether the application of the Jones Act to the noncontiguous domestic trades of the United States – Alaska, Guam, Hawaii and Puerto Rico – should be reformed or not.

The Hawaii Shippers’ Council (HSC) is advocating for its noncontiguous trades reform.   In a nutshell, our proposed reform would exempt the noncontiguous domestic shipping trades from the U.S. build requirement of the Jones Act for deep draft self-propelled ships.  We are not proposing to change the other Jones Act requirements in respect of the noncontiguous trades, i.e.: U.S.-flag, U.S.-ownership and U.S.-crew. 

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The Hawaii Shippers Council (HSC) is a business league organization incorporated in 1997 to represent cargo interests – known as “shippers” – who tender goods for shipment with the ocean carriers operating the Hawaii trade.  Please contact the HSC at email pacmar@hawaiiantel.net if you wish to be placed on our email list.

Caribbean Business: GAO to release Jones Act report next week