Is the Jones Act part of Puerto Rico's problem?
Check out this article from USA TODAY:
Save Puerto Rico from crippling Jones Act
Puerto Rico is in serious debt. It is at a point where sales tax has exceeded 10%. And consider the poverty rate and the unemployment rate on the island, raising taxes is not helping to alleviate their multitude of financial issues.
The Jones Act basically forces any goods to take a pricey detour through the states, with tariffs that get passed on to the local consumer. (Please note, this is also an issue in Hawaii and Alaska). In PR, almost everything is imported, which means necessities such as orange juice or soap cost significantly more than they do in the states. As a New Yorker, I got sticker shock when looking for an umbrella a few months ago. In NY a cheap umbrella is around $5. In PR it was double that.
Local staples such as milk and bread are still very affordable, but the imports are generally too pricey to bother buying as a tourist. So now when I visit the island, we only shop at mom and pop shops, avoiding the brand stores, as prices are always higher than in NY.
It is a shame, as we use our vacation to visit PR and inject some much needed cash into their economy.
I honestly hope the Jones Act is either permanently lifted, or lifted at least long enough for rebuilding on the Island to reach some level of completion.
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STOPWell, it seems the Jones Act will not be renewed.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dhs-will-let-jones-act-waiver-for-puerto-rico-expire/
Honestly, part of the "aid" should have been to provide CDL-certified personnel to help distribute food, medicine and other necessities to an island where one cannot simply call their drivers into the office at this very moment.
But then again, they are just being "lazy" and "expect everything to be done for them".
Actually the article mentions that the waiver was not renewed, so the Jones Act is in effect for Puerto Rico at the moment.
The Jones Act is a tool of colonialism, in the case of Puerto Rico it doesn't only effect the cost of imports, but seriously impedes on our ability to establish strong international trade. To have had to wait some 8 days for the Jones Act to be suspended; and for 10 days at that, is simply criminal.
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