Cabotage

Puerto Rico has requested a study into whether it should be exempted from the cabotage restrictions of the Jones Act, but the impact of the findings on potential changes to the legislation are yet to be determined.

China is expanding upon current cabotage regulations, restricting foreign registered vessels or companies trading along Chinese water routes.

Taiwan is interested in boosting its trade but flag restrictions across the country's trade route with China may limit that growth.

While South Africa has promised to introduce a tonnage tax regime in early 2013, some are skeptical of whether the country will be able to do so by that date.

In their quarterly newsletter, Moore Stephens concludes with a tongue-in-cheek feature titled, "The Devil's Dictionary," explained as "a series looking at classic and alternative definitions of shipping and accountancy terms." As the most recent edition considered the Jones Act, we thought our

Legal firm Norton Rose has evaluated the impact of Indonesian cabotage laws since their implementation in May 2011 to guide shipowners and bankers in adapting their practices to fit the requirements of the new regime.

A study into whether Canadian and Mexican ports have an "unfair advantage" over US ports, which could potentially lead to a "full-scale trade spat," has industry experts suggesting that a review of domestic maritime policy would be a more effective study.

The ISRR staff has learned of a letter written by the United States’ Government Accountability Office (GAO) stating its intentions to review the Jones Act “in terms of its effect on both the Puerto Rican economy and the broader U.S. economy.”

In the latest development to United States maritime policy, Congressman Steve Cohen has re-proposed the American Coastal Waters and Shorelines Protection Act – a bill that would require offshore vessels drilling in U.S. waters to be nationally flagged.

The US Department of Transportation has approved plans for the development of at least ten newbuildings and Marine Highways.