The Jones Act taxes every island and territory that depends on the sea. Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico and Guam are the most vulnerable economies in the American system, and the law makes their cost of living structurally higher. ^[5] In 2014, all four jurisdictions sought exemptions from the Jones Act. ^[1] They know the problem firsthand. Seventeen Hawaii economists, professors and business leaders called for repeal, saying the law unnecessarily raises the cost of living and is an impediment to the economic health of the Hawaii economy. ^[10][11][12] The read here is clear: the people who study the numbers and live with the rates agree the law is hurting them. ^[13] The law's rule is simple. Section 27 of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920 requires that all goods moved by water between U.S. ports be carried on U.S.-built, U.S.-flagged, U.S.-owned and U.S.-crewed ships. ^[15][16] For a place like Hawaii, where almost everything arrives by ship, that rule drives up freight rates on the Pacific Coast-Hawaii route and limits the competitiveness of transpacific services that transship to the islands. ^[8][9] Alaska tried to change the law through the Supreme Court in 1922, but the Court refused because Alaska was not a state. ^[3] Special interests spend money to delay votes that would benefit the nation, and calls for change from Hawaii and Puerto Rico are ignored in Washington. ^[7] The proposal on the table is an exemption for foreign-built vessels registered in the U.S., flying the U.S. flag, with U.S. owners and crew, to carry cargo between the contiguous and noncontiguous jurisdictions. ^[6] Guam, Midway Island and Wake Island are already exempt from the U.S.-build requirement. ^[4] The question is why the rest are not.