U.S. CUSTOMS DENIES JONES ACT WAIVER
The U.S. Customs Service has denied a request from the Independent Fuel Terminal Operators Association to operate non-U.S. flag tankers from the U.S. Gulf Coast to the U.S. Northeast.
The association claimed there was insufficient U.S.-flag tonnage to transport fuel oil to the Northeast from refineries in the Gulf of Mexico region, but failed to provide specific data on the voyages and cargoes, said the American Maritime Congress, a Washington, D.C. lobbying group comprised of U.S. flag carriers.
The Jones Act trades are reserved for U.S.-owned, U.S.-built and U.S.-crewed vessels.