Jones Act/Foreign Dredge Act

[SanJuanStar]

Again, if the DR economy is to envy for, Puerto Rico would have demanded independence by now. The reason Puerto Rico buys directly from the U.S. market is credit, currency and protection. You take that out from Puerto Rico and they will fall faster than timber.


You think Puerto Rico has the highest per capita and purchasing power than any country in Central and South America by coincidence or by design?


You are not taking U.S. credit and protection and their routes and not use their ships. Is not going to happen so why keep beating the bush?

[AntonioR]

Originally Posted by SanJuanStar

Again, if the DR economy is to envy for, Puerto Rico would have demanded independence by now.

Puerto Rico had a different case becsuse of the relationship with the United States. More telling is that it has been in a stretch relationship with the USA for over 100 years and since the 1940’s as a commonwealth of sorts. Now is 2024 it has decided not to move one way or another (independence or state.) I say there are enough Puerto Ricans that the only thing they like of the current relationship with the USA is the money, but doesn’t necessarily cares about other aspects of the USA. To prevent as much as possible becoming less Puerto Rican and more American (whatever that means), Puerto Rico is afraid of going independent because that means severing ties with much of the economic benefit and also afraid to become a state to contain further Americanization.

If you move among the leading Puerto Rico’s business group, the overall opinion is that the Dominican Republic is right now is in a better position to facilitate investments than Puerto Rico. As a consequence of that, there has been an increasing interest of Puerto Rican businessmen investing in the Dominican Republic, something that wasn’t the case a few decades ago.

This, of course, isn’t the image had in the greater Puerto Rican population, but they aren’t the movers abd shakers either. They are consitioned by pther things including that a large percentage of them receive sone sort of help from the government, plus the government is the largest employer.

Originally Posted by SanJuanStar

The reason Puerto Rico buys directly from the U.S. market is credit, currency and protection. You take that out from Puerto Rico and they will fall faster than timber.

The most important part is the relationship it has with the USA. Otherwise, all other countries would have the sane relationship and as ease an access to USA funds and that simply isn’t the case.

Originally Posted by SanJuanStar

You think Puerto Rico has the highest per capita and purchasing power than any country in Central and South America by coincidence or by design?

Everybody knows the central aspect here is the relationship with the United States. In general, Puerto Ricans also know this though many don’t like to affirm it with others. But among themselves they do. Puerto Ricans aren’t an exception to this either, I would say is quite general.

The general belief of Puerto Ricans is that the only thing that differentiates them from the rest of Latin Americans is the relationship with the USA and for msny that is the driving force for maintining the relationship as it is instead of opting for full statehood or independence. If enough Puerto Ricans would be assured PR wouldn’t change much culturally as a state, it would had been a US state a long time ago. If enough Puerto Ricans would be assured that they can make it on their own as at the moment most developed countries have less ties with the USA than PR and that hasn’t prevented them for becoming developed, then PR would had been independent a long time ago.

As time goes on the gap between PR’s GDP per capita and several other Latin American countries is shrinking and that should be something to notice and keep an eye on. As said in a previous post, the norm of PR since the 1940’s is for the gap to increase and that hasn’t been the case at least since the 2000’s. There are also Latin American countries that aren’t catching up to PR’s level. Places not just like PR, but a few others as well such as Singapore show that a place situation can change in a very short time.

Originally Posted by SanJuanStar

You are not taking U.S. credit and protection and their routes and not use their ships. Is not going to happen so why keep beating the bush?

As long as the Jones Act remains as it is PR will be subject at the current conditions, but with the elimination of this either pertaining to PR or getting rid of the entire thing, PR will gain from that given it adds additional costs that shouldn’t be there.

[SanJuanStar]

Originally Posted by AntonioR

Puerto Rico had a different case becsuse of the relationship with the United States. More telling is that it has been in a stretch relationship with the USA for over 100 years and since the 1940’s as a commonwealth of sorts. Now is 2024 it has decided not to move one way or another (independence or state.) I say there are enough Puerto Ricans that the only thing they like of the current relationship with the USA is the money, but doesn’t necessarily cares about other aspects of the USA. To prevent as much as possible becoming less Puerto Rican and more American (whatever that means), Puerto Rico is afraid of going independent because that means severing ties with much of the economic benefit and also afraid to become a state to contain further Americanization.

More Puerto Ricans live in the 50 states than the island and 95% of the electorate in Puerto Rico reject independence for decades. I say it's a lot more than money. The elite class in the island and a % of the population benefit from the current status. Like I said, there is an underground economy in Puerto Rico and it's really hard to bring change.

Originally Posted by AntonioR

If you move among the leading Puerto Rico’s business group, the overall opinion is that the Dominican Republic is right now is in a better position to facilitate investments than Puerto Rico. As a consequence of that, there has been an increasing interest of Puerto Rican businessmen investing in the Dominican Republic, something that wasn’t the case a few decades ago.

I'm sure if you are an elite class coming in with the U.S. Dollar but not for the middle class, if D.R. has one. D.R. has a very large poor peasant class who live in absolute poverty.


At least Puerto Rico is under the U.S. jurisdiction and protection and your investments are well protected in the island. Something We can't say about the rest of the Latin countries.

Originally Posted by AntonioR

The most important part is the relationship it has with the USA. Otherwise, all other countries would have the sane relationship and as ease an access to USA funds and that simply isn’t the case.

Unless other countries are under the full U.S. jurisdiction and U.S. protection as Puerto Rico, it will never be the same. Like the saying goes, I rather be the tail of a Lion than the head of a mouse.

Originally Posted by AntonioR

As long as the Jones Act remains as it is PR will be subject at the current conditions, but with the elimination of this either pertaining to PR or getting rid of the entire thing, PR will gain from that given it adds additional costs that shouldn’t be there.

As long as Uncle Sam keeps giving Puerto Rico credit and economic protection, they will be the same. Mainland will always be better than Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico but compared to the rest? Who is really complaining?

[pman]

Originally Posted by AntonioR

As long as the Jones Act remains as it is PR will be subject at the current conditions, but with the elimination of this either pertaining to PR or getting rid of the entire thing, PR will gain from that given it adds additional costs that shouldn’t be there.

It comes up now and again as the jones act has been horrific for the domestic shipping industry which is all but irrelevant outside the Mississippi (and even NAFTA has mainly generated more competitive shipping along road and rail routes). Trump considered exemptions, notably for energy, because it pits special interests against each other with us gas industry losing out on sales to PR and new england which buy foreign oil and gas instead. Texas has finally figured out a workaround by exporting gas to mexico, the mexicans convert it to lng and its no longer subject to jones act restrictions. moreover, over time, as the island switches to solar, less oil and gas will be imported. it still does stifle trade between the two (mainland and islands) but perhaps the island should apply for federal subsidies to build ships and lease them to private operators like the ferry service.