The Jones Act regulates shipping between ports in the United States. The Act has four requirements:
1. Any shipping of cargo between ports in the United States must be done on a ship built in the United States,
2. The ship must be owned by a United States company,
3. The ship must be manned by a crew at least 75% US citizens
4. The ship must be registered in the United States.
While some good comes from these restrictions, consider the downside. Hawaii Shippers Council points to a 2012 New York Federal Reserve study showing that shipping rates from the U.S.A. to Puerto Rico were twice as expensive as rates for Jamaica and the Dominican Republic since those other