The Jones Act does not just make life expensive in Puerto Rico. It makes it dangerous.

Shipping a standard twenty foot container from the US East Coast to Puerto Rico cost $3,063 in 2012. That same container cost $1,504 to ship the shorter route to the neighbouring Dominican Republic. The island loses an estimated $537 million annually to the law's restrictions. Liquefied natural gas prices run up to 30% higher as a direct result.

When hurricanes arrive, this stops being a grocery bill problem. The government waived the Jones Act immediately for Texas and Florida after major storms. It initially refused the same waiver for Puerto Rico. When one was finally granted, it lasted only 10 days.

No other United States territory bears this permanent burden. The Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands all hold exemptions. Only Puerto Rico is required to pay this tax, every single day.