# Jones Act not being enforced?

**URL:** <https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/jones-act-not-being-enforced/48836>\
**Category:** Professional Mariner Forum\
**Created:** [August 3, 2018, 3:36am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/jones-act-not-being-enforced/48836 "2018-08-03T03:36:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 16\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Broke3rdMate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b487fb/32.png) [@Broke3rdMate](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Broke3rdMate)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2018, 3:36am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/jones-act-not-being-enforced/48836/1 "2018-08-03T03:36:13Z")

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I read today that the Ocean Network Shipping (“ONE”) vessel ONE STORK stopped in Savannah recently before heading to Charleston, and then Norfolk if I’m not mistaken. Being that she’s Japanese flagged, how is this legal without a Jones Act waiver?

I’m sure this is completely normal and I just missed a detail or two on the Jones Act while I wasn’t paying attention in class back at school…but interested to hear how this works for foreign companies. I figured if someone had gotten a waiver, it would have been in the news. Thanks all!

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**Author:** ![Louisd75](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f04885/32.png) [@Louisd75](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Louisd75)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2018, 4:49am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/jones-act-not-being-enforced/48836/2 "2018-08-03T04:49:58Z")

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The ONE STORK wasn’t carrying cargo between US ports. She can stop in Savannah, offload stuff from Asia and load stuff from the US, then shift to Charleston, offload more stuff from Asia and then load stuff from the US, etc. So long as she’s not delivering US cargo from one US port to another US port then it’s all good.

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**Author:** ![Tellarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@Tellarian](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Tellarian)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2018, 8:54am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/jones-act-not-being-enforced/48836/3 "2018-08-03T08:54:38Z")

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The UK P & I has just produced a Legal Briefing on global cabotage, it might illuminate a few misunderstandings.

> **[Legal Briefing: A quick overview of maritime cabotage regimes](https://www.ukpandi.com/knowledge-publications/publications/article/legal-briefing-a-quick-overview-of-maritime-cabotage-regimes-144832/?dm_i=33T,5SFHU,PE4G53,MLDTW,1)**
>
> Ship Owners’ Liability Insurance and Risk Management

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**Author:** ![ombugge](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/ombugge/32/11217_2.png) [@ombugge](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ombugge)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2018, 9:44am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/jones-act-not-being-enforced/48836/4 "2018-08-03T09:44:12Z")

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And the EU cabotage rules FYI:

> **[Maritime transport: Commission clarifies EU rules on cabotage and reports on...](https://ec.europa.eu/transport/modes/maritime/news/cabotage_en)**
>
> European Commission – Maritime transport in Europe

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**Author:** ![Hogsnort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba8739/32.png) [@Hogsnort](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Hogsnort)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2018, 8:19pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/jones-act-not-being-enforced/48836/5 "2018-08-03T20:19:40Z")

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I used to discharge cargo at Los Angeles, Oakland and Seattle. We loaded cargo at all three ports for foreign destinations. Passengers joined and left in all three ports but only to and from foreign ports.

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**Author:** ![RiverRats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f17d59/32.png) [@RiverRats](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/RiverRats)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2018, 8:53pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/jones-act-not-being-enforced/48836/6 "2018-08-03T20:53:46Z")

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Be on the lookout for a comprehensive paper on cabotage coming from the Seafarers’ Rights International in the near future.

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**Author:** ![DamnYankee](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/damnyankee/32/514_2.png) [@DamnYankee](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/DamnYankee)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2018, 11:43pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/jones-act-not-being-enforced/48836/7 "2018-08-03T23:43:45Z")

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There are also US flagged ships that are not jones act certified and they too make multiple US port calls. As long as you are not transporting cargo between US ports, everything is kosher. You can transship cargo to its port of destination as well as move empty containers between US ports.

I’m a little concerned about which maritime academy you attended and why you are just figuring this out.

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**Author:** ![Broke3rdMate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b487fb/32.png) [@Broke3rdMate](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Broke3rdMate)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2018, 12:14am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/jones-act-not-being-enforced/48836/8 "2018-08-04T00:14:32Z")

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@Louisd75 @Tellarian @ombugge @Hogsnort @RiverRats Thanks everyone

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**Author:** ![Broke3rdMate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b487fb/32.png) [@Broke3rdMate](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Broke3rdMate)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2018, 12:15am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/jones-act-not-being-enforced/48836/9 "2018-08-04T00:15:36Z")

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Roger, thanks. Can’t exactly say we memorized the Jones Act…something tells me you’re a KP’er.

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**Author:** ![DamnYankee](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/damnyankee/32/514_2.png) [@DamnYankee](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/DamnYankee)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2018, 1:30am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/jones-act-not-being-enforced/48836/10 "2018-08-04T01:30:09Z")

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Nope. I drink to the dome.

Good luck in your career

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**Author:** ![Chief\_Seadog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/67e7ee/32.png) [@Chief\_Seadog](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Chief_Seadog)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2018, 1:59am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/jones-act-not-being-enforced/48836/11 "2018-08-04T01:59:47Z")

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> [@DamnYankee](#):
>
> I drink to the dome

That’s SUNY to the uninformed (and no I did not got there).

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**Author:** ![saltyseamen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@saltyseamen](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/saltyseamen)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2018, 4:58am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/jones-act-not-being-enforced/48836/12 "2018-08-04T04:58:33Z")

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I hope you didn’t go to SUNY because this is definitely taught there. Jones Act is basic knowledge.

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**Author:** ![Broke3rdMate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b487fb/32.png) [@Broke3rdMate](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Broke3rdMate)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2018, 5:13am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/jones-act-not-being-enforced/48836/13 "2018-08-04T05:13:28Z")

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I was well aware of what the Jones act is. Did not know that its common practice for foreign container ships to discharge in multiple US ports. We didn’t learn that sort of thing at my school, all the focus was on tankers. All we were taught about containers was how to read the markings and how to use twist locks.

As you can imagine, my first night mate gig was interesting…

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**Author:** ![New3M](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/new3m/32/394_2.png) [@New3M](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/New3M)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2018, 8:42am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/jones-act-not-being-enforced/48836/14 "2018-08-04T08:42:34Z")

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1874!

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**Author:** ![jdcavo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/jdcavo/32/108_2.png) [@jdcavo](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/jdcavo)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2018, 2:24pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/jones-act-not-being-enforced/48836/15 "2018-08-04T14:24:58Z")

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> [@saltyseamen](#):
>
> I hope you didn’t go to SUNY because this is definitely taught there. Jones Act is basic knowledge.

They didn’t teach the bits of the Jones Act that have nothing to do with cabotage, and I doubt any of the others do either.

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**Author:** ![Kennebec\_Captain](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/kennebec_captain/32/13_2.png) [@Kennebec\_Captain](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Kennebec_Captain)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2018, 3:07pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/jones-act-not-being-enforced/48836/16 "2018-08-04T15:07:53Z")

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The OP seems like a reasonable question, even if you do learn in school many practical aspects might not be obvious until it’s seen in practice. Nothing wrong with checking if what you see matches your understanding.
