Maritime Cabotage Task Force Statement, Oil Spill

On June 11, the Maritime Cabotage Task Force issued this statement regarding the Gulf oil spill and the Jones Act:

The American maritime industry supports immediate action to address the unfolding environmental disaster in the Gulf.  Federal law called the Jones Act requires that American vessels be used for domestic transportation activities in the U.S., and countless American vessels are already responding in the Gulf.  In addition, we know that many other American vessels are standing by ready to help.

There are well-established federal procedures for waiving the Jones Act to bring in foreign vessels in those situations were American vessels are not available.  The American maritime industry has not and will not stand in the way of the use of these well-established waiver procedures to address this crisis.