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...more
Cabotage laws are laws that restrict foreign transportation services within a particular country in favor of domestic services. It is protectionism in its most primary sense and has been part of United States law since the...more
Late last week, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith, D-Wash., and Ranking Member Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, issued a joint statement announcing that both chambers of Congress have reached agreement on the...more
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 U.S. domestic trades or a foreign operator serving the U.S. market. The...more
Cabotage laws prohibit foreign-owned or crewed vessels from transporting merchandise between two points in the host country. They date to a time when a nation’s merchant marine and navy were a unified military asset, and they...more
K&L Gates maritime professionals work at the intersection of the U.S. federal government and the maritime business. We asked some of them for their predictions about the year ahead regarding the Trump administration, the...more
In an earlier post, I discussed the Supreme Court’s grant of certiorari in Dutra Group v. Batterton, which presents the question whether punitive damages may be awarded under federal maritime law in connection with an...more
What #MeToo Means for the Maritime World - The #MeToo movement has shone new attention on issues for employers in the maritime industry seeking to ensure that seafarers and shore-based personnel can participate in a work...more
The Jones Act restricts the transportation of merchandise between coastwise points to vessels that are owned, operated and controlled by US citizens. The purpose of the Jones Act is to ensure that US domestic trade is carried...more
Ballast Water Management: The Conundrum Continues - It has been about 15 months since the U.S. Coast Guard (“USCG”) type-approved the first three ballast water management systems (“BWMSs”) in December 2016; three more...more
• Four bills are currently pending in Congress to repeal or limit the reach of the Jones Act, including three that are focused upon relief efforts to assist Puerto Rico after the disastrous effects of Hurricane Maria. •...more
Note from the Maritime Industry Team - Large sectors of the maritime industry—especially offshore—remain in the doldrums, but it nonetheless has been a busy few months for our Blank Rome Maritime group. Our Washington,...more
In response to the Governor of Puerto Rico’s request, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) waived the Jones Act on Thursday. The waiver covers all products shipped to Puerto Rico laded on board a vessel over the next ten...more
Once he assumes office on Jan. 20, 2017, President-Elect Donald Trump will be responsible for managing a mix of cargo preference, ship documentation, cabotage, and related rules and laws dating back to the First Congress,...more