From The Loadstar:

Another attempt to lift US cabotage restrictions was dismissed yesterday, when a court in Hawaii ruled against a class action brought by shippers against legislation which prohibits foreign companies from carrying US domestic cargo on ships.

Judges dismissed the action on the grounds that the claim was too broad to be able to show either direct causation – in that the higher prices could be the result of two companies operating the route, whether the Jones Act was in existence or not – and redressability: that they could not show that the lifting of the Jones Act would lead to lower freight rates.

The court also dismissed the argument that the Jones Act violates the country’s Commerce Clause, ruling that “the requirements of due process are satisfied if the law passed has a reasonable relation to a legitimate legislative purpose and is not arbitrary, capricious or discriminatory”.

Read the rest at The Loadstar