Puerto Rico’s recovery and rebuilding efforts facing an uphill battle due to Jones Act

“It isn't as though the policy is smart even in normal times. Puerto Ricans pay more for U.S.-shipped goods, while mainland companies lose business to foreign suppliers. Farmers and ranchers, for instance, have chosen to source animal feed and fertilizers from Saint John, Canada, rather than New Jersey. The cost of Jones Act shipping could cancel the savings that the island might otherwise make by buying cheap U.S. natural gas. Puerto Rico has lost business as a trading hub: Container traffic at Kingston, Jamaica, a country with a smaller population and economy, has overtaken that of San Juan”. ...The Editors @ Bloombergview