Reported by Mike Schuler for gCaptain
A coalition of seven American maritime labor organizations—including the Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association, Sailors’ Union of the Pacific, and the International Organization of Masters, Mates and Pilots—also weighed in Thursday, sending a letter to the White House urging the administration not to grant a Jones Act waiver.
The groups argued that suspending the law would do little to ease fuel costs for consumers while undermining American maritime jobs and security. “Waiving the Jones Act would do nothing to reduce gasoline prices,” the letter states. “The primary driver of gasoline prices is the cost of crude oil, not domestic shipping costs. Several studies have shown the impact of domestic shipping on nationwide fuel prices is negligible, and any marginal savings would be unlikely to reach consumers.”
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