Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas approved a temporary and targeted Jones Act waiver to help Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Fiona.
The Jones Act works to maintain the strength of the American shipbuilding and maritime industries by "requiring all maritime cargo transport between U.S. ports to occue on U.S. flagged vessels," according to a Sept. 28 news release announcing the waiver.
“In response to urgent and immediate needs of the Puerto Rican people in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona, I have approved a temporary and targeted Jones Act waiver to ensure that the people of Puerto Rico have sufficient diesel to run generators needed for electricity and the functioning of critical facilities as they recover from Hurricane Fiona,” Mayorkas said in the release. “The decision to approve the waiver was made in consultation with the Departments of Transportation, Energy and Defense to assess the justification for the waiver request and based on input from the governor of Puerto Rico and others on the ground supporting recovery efforts.”
Waivers such as these may occur when an adequate number of U.S. flagged vessels are not available to meet the requirements needed "if the proposed shipments are in the interest of national defense and after careful evaluation of the issue," the release reported.
