The Jones Act, formally known as the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, was passed by Congress to rebuild the United States's shipping industry after German U-boats devastated the country's merchant fleet during World War I. At its core, the act requires that any ship transporting goods or passengers between US ports must be built in the US, owned by US citizens and crewed primarily by Americans.
After Trump ended the de minimis exemption last year, purchasing an item straight from an international vendor, regardless of the item's value, meant incurring International Emergency Economic Powers Act tariffs. Now, thanks to a ruling by the Supreme Court that overturned Trump's IEEPA tariffs, and a ruling by the Court of International Trade ruled that all tariffs paid under IEEPA must be returned, buyers may be able to collect a refund.
We want to achieve stability and predictability in trade relations. A united stance within the European Union is important in this regard. Businesses need planning security, and that applies on both sides of the Atlantic. We therefore expect clarity from the US government on the next steps.
We have very specific concerns regarding our cooperation, which we want to improve and make fair. This example alone shows that it is worthwhile to undertake such trips, also in order to discuss specific topics in concrete terms.
Four years ago, The Guardian published a landmark expose in climate journalism that detailed a coming "carbon bomb" of oil and gas projects. Damian Carrington and Matthew Taylor reported that the projects included plans to explore for, drill, frack, refine, and transport enough additional oil and gas to equal 10 years of China's planet-warming emissions.
