A coalition of ship owners, operators, builders and related groups said that a federal law created in 1920 helps protect Connecticut’s $2.5 billion shipyard industry.
The Merchant Marine Act of 1920, also known as the Jones Act allows only U.S.-built, flagged, and owned vessels to transport goods by water between domestic ports.
The law has come under attack by oil producers and refiners who want to export Gulf crude up the coast to U.S. states. Those industries would like to use less expensive, foreign ships to transport the oil, Reuters recently reported.
The American Maritime Partnership, which took issue with parts of the Reuters account, released a statement Wednesday saying the law protects a vital Connecticut industry.
“In addition to the thousands of shipyard jobs along the shoreline, there are hundreds of Connecticut companies that form a supply chain for parts, machines and services that are critical to shipbuilding—more than 360 in the submarine supply chain alone,” Rep. Joe Courtney said in the statement. “The Jones Act strengthens our domestic shipbuilding industry and helps ensure that American ships are made by American workers like the people of eastern Connecticut.”
The AMP analysis, which cites data from the U.S. Maritime Administration and PricewaterhouseCoopers, said Connecticut ranks fourth in private sector jobs related to shipbuilding and repair.
