{"id":23681,"date":"2026-01-21T20:02:24","date_gmt":"2026-01-21T20:02:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/?p=23681"},"modified":"2026-01-21T20:02:24","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T20:02:24","slug":"amp-applauds-u-s-district-court-dismissal-of-case-challenging-the-jones-act","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/?p=23681","title":{"rendered":"AMP applauds U.S. District Court dismissal of case challenging the Jones Act"},"content":{"rendered":"

AMP applauds U.S. District Court dismissal of case challenging the Jones Act
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The American Maritime Partnership (AMP), the voice of the U.S. domestic maritime industry, is applauded a U.S. district court decision dismissing a challenge to the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, commonly known as the Jones Act, which ensures vessels transporting cargo from point to point in the United States must be American-built, -owned and -crewed.<\/p>\n

The case was brought against Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noam, with AMP and Matson Navigation intervening on behalf of the defendants.<\/p>\n

In a 46-page opinion, Chief Judge James E. Boasberg of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia rejected claims that the Jones Act violates the Due Process Clause and the Port Preference Clause <\/a>of the Constitution. The ruling, siding with the Administration\u2019s defense, reaffirms the statute\u2019s vital role in maintaining America\u2019s merchant marine for commercial and national security purposes as part of a long-standing history of American cabotage.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe commend the Trump Administration for vigorously defending the Jones Act in court and defending the men and women who serve America\u2019s national security, homeland security and economic security,\u201d said Jennifer Carpenter,<\/a> president of the American Maritime Partnership. \u201cThe Jones Act is foundational to our nation, and we thank the Court for its thoughtful analysis of the history of the law. This decision reaffirms not only the constitutionality but also the critical importance of the Jones Act to every American.\u201d<\/p>\n

Judge Boasberg found that the Jones Act is \u201cneutral legislation that does not create any direct preferences by channeling commerce through the ports of one state at the expense of others.\u201d The ruling emphasized that the Jones Act \u201cemerged from a centuries-old tradition of cabotage laws\u201d and \u201capplies uniformly across transportation modes, including aviation,\u201d reflecting consistent national policy across modes of transportation rather than discrimination against any particular state or region as the plaintiffs claimed.<\/p>\n

The opinion concludes that the Jones Act also satisfies a rational basis review, noting that maintaining \u201ca strong domestic merchant marine, protecting national security by ensuring that vessels are available for military use, and supporting American maritime employment\u201d are \u201cparadigmatic examples of legitimate governmental interests.\u201d<\/p>\n

The policy is so consistent with national interests , notes AMP, that a 2025 legal review by Seafarers Rights International found that 105 nations \u2013 representing over 85% of the world\u2019s coastlines \u2013 are covered by laws similar to the Jones Act.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs we celebrate our nation\u2019s 250 years of independence, it is good to see the Trump Administration, the courts and the private sector all aligned on how important a strong, American merchant marine is,\u201d Carpenter said,<\/p>\n

The lawsuit was brought by the Hawaii based K\u014dloa Rum Company with free representation by the Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF), which, notes AMP, has been described as a \u201cDark Money\u201d group by critics. The PLF\u2019s filing did not disclose what donors, either foreign or domestic, financially supported this case.<\/p>\n

Read the ruling:<\/a><\/p>\n

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