Mix Of Optimism And Uncertainty As Shipping Braces For Trump

A debate is growing in the shipping industry about what to expect under the Trump Administration.

Attorney Eric Lee weighed in on how Cabinet nominees Wilbur Ross and Elaine Chao view U.S.-flag policy and the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, also known as the Jones Act.

"I think we will know how Ms. Chao and Mr. Ross and others perceive these programmes in the coming months," said Lee. "That also means that now is the time to help frame the internal conversation."

Meanwhile, Attorneys Chester Hooper and Christopher Nolan indicated the new administration would support the Rotterdam Rules, a 2009 treaty governing door-to-door cargo shipping.

"In principle, international and domestic chambers of commerce have supported ratification of the Rotterdam Rules, and carrier and cargo interests involved in the international carriage of goods have already acknowledged the rules' value in the maritime industry," the lawyers said in a blog post.

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