Rather than argue the merits of the Jones Act, which seldom seems to produce warm results, the U.S. Maritime Cabotage Task force approached the National Industrial Transportation League several months ago about forming a joint-working group to discuss Jones Act service issues.
Last month, both sides got together for a one-day meeting and, according to Peter Gatti, the NIT League's vice president for international relations, "relations were very good. The stated objective was for shippers and Jones Act carriers to sit down, with shippers conveying operational concerns, and carriers responding to how these concerns could be met."
Gatti said the meetingd up with general discussions between the half-dozen-each shippers and carriers present. He said the shipper contingent was represented by a cross-section of shipper interests including chemical, agricultural, bulk and containerized shippers.
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