A new study from Seafarers’ Rights International shows “Jones Act” style laws exist in 105 countries. Cabotage laws, like the Jones Act, are the global standard, covering 85% of the world’s coastlines across every major political and economic system.
Cabotage reserves domestic waterborne transport for vessels that are tied to the nation they serve. This reflects a global principle that countries control their own internal transportation routes.
“Countries appear no longer to be viewing cabotage as merely economic policy, but also as essential to nationalsecurity and strategic autonomy in an increasingly unstable geopolitical environment.” Deirdre Fitzpatrick, Cabotage Laws of the World (2025), Co-Author.
105 countries across the world use similar laws to secure maritime supply chains and control critical infrastructure. As global competition intensifies, nations are strengthening, not dismantling, cabotage.
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ITF-Released Report Shows a Growing Number of Countries Are Implementing Cabotage Laws
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