The Jones Act is the foundational law of the American maritime industry, and compliance with it is essential whether you are a vessel operator in the US domestic trades or a foreign operator serving the US market. The Jones Act requires that merchandise transported by water within the United States be moved on vessels that are US-documented, -owned, -crewed, and -built. And while the basic contours of the law are relatively simple, the applications and nuances of it are far less so.

The Essential Guide to the Jones Act, now in its second edition, describes and explains one of America’s most consequential maritime laws.