Garrett Rice, President of Master Boat Builders, authored a letter to the editor in the Wall Street Journal yesterday responding to the editorial board’s op-ed, “Trump Halts the Blockade of U.S. Ports.”
In his response, Rice argues that America’s maritime industry is a cornerstone of national security, economic strength, and industrial capacity — and that broad Jones Act waivers would undermine American shipyards, mariners, and maritime jobs while doing little to meaningfully or lastingly reduce fuel prices.
Read the full LTE below:
Is It Time to Abandon Ship on the Jones Act?
By Garrett Rice
May 13, 2026
Your editorial is right that America faces real energy and supply-chain pressures as a result of the conflict in the Strait of Hormuz. But waiving the Jones Act is the wrong response.
Washington warns of China’s maritime dominance, yet the administration has opened domestic shipping routes to Chinese competition.
The U.S. Trade Representative’s office last year concluded that China’s unfair practices in shipbuilding and maritime logistics threaten American interests. Reuters reported that China’s share of global shipbuilding has risen from about 5% in 2000 to over 50% today, while the U.S. share has fallen below 1%.
The Jones Act was designed to preserve a domestic maritime industrial base and a pool of American mariners available during war or national emergencies. Even many critics of the law concede that maritime capacity is tied to national security.
Supporters of the waiver argue it could reduce costs for fuel and other commodities. But the price effects are likely limited and temporary.
The law allows for specific voyage-based waivers when Jones Act vessels aren’t available, but broad waivers that weaken domestic shipping while China expands its maritime dominance move the country in the wrong direction.