GET RID OF REPEAL END LIFT CANCEL REMOVE REVOKE OVERTURN RESCIND VOID ANNUL INVALIDATE DESTROY NULLIFY TERMINATE DEFEAT F*CK ABOLISH PUT AN END TO AMEND INVALIDATE DISSOLVE ELIMINATE THE JONES ACT

END THE JONES ACT

BECAUSE THE FUTURE OF OUR ISLAND IS WORTH FIGHTING FOR.

#SOSPUERTORICO

About our fight

More than a hashtag campaign: SOS Puerto Rico is a movement of Puerto Ricans and their allies who support a more free, more prosperous Puerto Rico- starting with a repeal of the Jones Act. This project was created to educate the American public about the effects of the Jones Act and the history of exploitation of the world’s oldest colony, the “enchanted island” of Puerto Rico.

We started as a group of professional progressive organizers who were tired of waiting on nonprofits, foundations, and other organizations to “come around” on the issue of Puerto Rico and the Jones Act. What started out as a loud group of advocates has turned into a chorus of every day people making demands of congress, candidates, and community leaders to do the right thing.

Democrats and Republicans both share blame for the economic situation in Puerto Rico, including their support for the Jones Act.

 

However, there are also coalitions in both parties who are seeking to correct this injustice by calling for either a full repeal of the Jones Act or a full exemption for the island of Puerto Rico.

 

We support permanently lifting the Jones Act for Puerto Rico, no matter which coalition gets it done.

On the island, we’re tired of being told to “wait” to deal with pressing economic issues like the Jones Act until the status of Puerto Rico is “resolved.”

The status is not a magic fix and should not be used by the wealthy and powerful to distract us from coming together to improve our current conditions using means that are available to us in this moment.

There is no just reason to “wait” on resolving the issue of the Jones Act.

Unburdened by bureaucracy, not bound by grants: Because we are a decentralized movement of free thinking individuals, we say the truth without messaging or funding restrictions. 

Follow the movement

Previous
Next

OTHER ACCOUNTS TO FOLLOW

Driving the Jones Act Conversation

JOIN THE MOVEMENT

TO FIGHT FOR THE FUTURE OF PUERTO RICO
  • Support the struggle for a more free and prosperous Puerto Rico
  • Receive invites to rallies, protests, and events
  • Stay up to date on the latest movement news
  • Get breakdowns of the latest Jones Act studies

FAQ

Most frequent questions and answers

The Jones Act, also known as the Jones Act of 1920 or Section 27 of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, is a set of prohibitionist cabotage (maritime) laws which requires that ships transporting cargo between U.S. ports must be performed by vessels that are U.S.-built, U.S.-owned, U.S. flagged, and U.S.-crewed.

This law was named for Senator Wesley Jones, a Republican from Washington state, who worked in the interest of U.S. based shipping companies to establish a shipping monopoly over Puerto Rican trade routes. While some say the spirit of the law is to ensure a strong “merchant marine” by creating demand for U.S. built ships, the U.S. shipbuilding industry has actually seen a decline as companies use the opportunity to profit on limited availability of Jones-Act-Compliant vessels.


The Jones Act was not enacted in the interest of the people of Puerto Rico or the economic interest of the island at large and serves no benefit to the island. To the contrary, the Jones Act functions as a tax on Puerto Ricans by inflating the price of imports including both ready-made goods and raw materials. In total, this costs Puerto Rican economy at least half a billion dollars every single year and robs the island of much needed job growth and employment.

Read more about the economic impact of the Jones Act on Puerto Rico in these Jones Act Studies.

The Jones Act costs the island of Puerto Rico at least half a billion dollars every year, affecting the cost of imported goods and hampering employment opportunities.

Since the Jones Act acts as a tax on imported goods across the entire island, Puerto Ricans pay more for necessities like food, water, and energy than their counterparts in the mainland of the United States.  However, this does not necessarily mean it is cheaper to buy local. Because the Jones Act affects the supply chain of local farmers, inflating the cost of things like farming equipment and feed for livestock, the Jones Act even raises the price of goods created on the island.

Read more about the economic impact of the Jones Act in these Jones Act Studies.
Puerto Ricans received their citizenship through the Jones-Shafroth Act of 1917, not the Jones Act of 1920. Repealing the Jones Act of 1920 would not cause Puerto Ricans to lose their U.S. citizenship. They are two separate laws named after two different congresspeople.

However, the relationship between the Jones Act of 1920 and the status of Puerto Ricans as colonial subjects of the United States is worth exploring.
The Jones Act of 1917, also called the Jones-Shafroth Act of 1917, was named for Representative William Atkinson jones, a Democrat from Virginia. Among other things, this law gave Puerto Ricans U.S. citizenship just in time for the island’s residents to fight in WWI on behalf of the United States.

The Jones Act of 1920 is a set of cabotage (maritime) laws named after Senator Wesley Jones, a Republican from the state of Washington which establishes a shipping monopoly over Puerto Rican trade routes for the benefit of companies based in the mainland of the Unites States.
No. Making Puerto Rico the 51st state of the United States would not end the Jones Act for Puerto Rico. Statehood addresses the political relationship between Puerto Rico and the U.S. without necessarily addressing the economic relationship of exploitation. For example, Hawaii suffers similar economic impacts of the Jones Act despite becoming a state.

Instituting Statehood without ending the Jones Act still preserves the shipping monopoly and negatively impacts Puerto Rico to the tune of at least half a billion dollars every year.

Read more about the economic impact of the Jones Act in these Jones Act Studies.

Repealing the Jones Act does not hurt labor unions. Though some in the labor movement oppose repealing the Jones Act for Puerto Rico, this is generally because it would cause those individuals to lose the inflated executive-level salaries they get to enjoy as the result of the shipping monopoly.

 

Individuals or unions who declare that their economic interests would be jeopardized by a prosperous Puerto Rico free of colonial exploitation from shipping monopolies like the Jones Act would do well to not speak for progressives or the labor movement at-large. Many unions, union leaders, and progressives in both the United States and Puerto Rico support repealing the Jones Act for Puerto Rico.

Repealing the Jones Act for Puerto Rico will not automatically make the island independent from the United States. Puerto Ricans derive their citizenship from the Jones-Shafroth Act of 1917, while the Jones Act of 1920 refers to the set of cabotage (maritime) laws that act as a tax on goods imported to the island.

 

Only a robust movement of honest liberation-seeking individuals and organizations coming together for the collective good of the island will achieve independence.

Ask a question about the jones act

Submit your question about the Jones Act. We may add it to the list of frequently asked questions!