If anyone wants more evidence of how protectionism hurts the poor and most vulnerable among us, Puerto Rico now offers a prime example.
The island was devastated by Hurricane Maria. Tens of thousands have been left homeless. Basic goods and services, such as food, water, and fuel, are in short supply. Electricity is out for virtually the entire island, and may not be restored in some places for months. Nearly 85 percent of the island has no cell-phone coverage. Much of the country’s already-shaky economic base, including tourism and agriculture, has been all but wiped out.
Yet despite the unfolding humanitarian crisis, the Trump administration has so far refused to waive the law’s restrictions.
Yet vital aid to the island is being slowed by the Jones Act, a 100-year-old example of protectionism and corporate welfare. The Jones Act requires that all cargo shipped to Puerto Rico is carried on ships built entirely in the United States, owned by a U.S. citizen, flying a U.S. flag, and staffed by a majority-American crew. Relatively few ships meet those requirements. And at a time when even a brief delay in getting assistance to suffering islanders could cost lives, the Jones Act is an unneeded impediment to that aid.