US Customs and Border Protection has formally revised its framework for the enforcement of the Jones Act, a change critics claim could allow more foreign-flagged vessels to operate in domestic oil and natural gas offshore operations. Receive daily email alerts, subscriber notes & personalize your experience. Register Now The US maritime industry fears the revisions could potentially alter a century of legal precedent governing the movement of crude, refined products and other commodities between US ports. The issue centers on how CBP defines “vessel equipment,” which has been the subject of individual letter rulings for decades. If an item on a vessel is labeled as “equipment,” rather than as “cargo,” it will fall outside the reach of the Jones Act, which requires ships transporting goods between […]