Analysis | All about the Jones Act, an obscure shipping law that some say is stalling Puerto Rico’s recovery

The Washington Post: In the wake of Hurricane Maria, pretty much the entire island of Puerto Rico is dark, hot and running out of supplies — quickly. Because it's an island, many lifesaving supplies will arrive by boat.

But Puerto Rico has to wait until American boats can reach its shores with supplies because of an obscure, World War I-era shipping law that the Trump administration is refusing to waive.

Trump's decision to keep the Jones Act in place is also feeding into a narrative that the president is aloof to Puerto Rico's problems. His administration lifted the Jones Act to help Texas and Florida after hurricanes Harvey in August and Irma this month. (Supporters of the Jones Act say the thinking within the shipping industry is that the Trump administration lifted the Jones Act after Hurricane Harvey before it was necessary, and Florida only needed a little bit of help from foreign-owned ships.)

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