The Law Strangling Puerto Rico<br />Thanks to the law, the price of goods from the United States mainland is at least double<br />that in neighboring islands, including the United States Virgin Islands, which are not covered by the Jones Act.<br />A 2012 report by two University of Puerto Rico economists found<br />that the Jones Act caused a $17 billion loss to the island’s economy from 1990 through 2010.<br />The foreign vessel has one other option: It can reroute to Jacksonville, Fla., where all the goods will be transferred to an<br />American vessel, then shipped to Puerto Rico where — again — all the rerouting costs are passed through to the consumer.<br />Three American territories are exempt from the Jones Act, including the United States Virgin Islands.
