The Cato Institute’s Colin Grabow writes, “Sen. Mike Lee (R‑Utah) has a better idea of how to help the country’s ports meet their dredging needs: remove outdated protectionism. Earlier this week Lee introduced four bills that would either reform or repeal the Foreign Dredge Act.

Rather than simply spending more money to fix U.S. port problems, Sen. Mike Lee has a better idea: pare back protectionist laws. https://t.co/6UeF2ysXjM #CatoTrade #EndTheJonesAct pic.twitter.com/1wOPB9nuZW

— Cato Institute (@CatoInstitute) December 17, 2021

Passed in 1906, the Foreign Dredge Act restricts domestic dredging—the removal of sediment and debris from bodies of water (such as to deepen them to accommodate larger vessels)—to vessels that are U.S.-registered, U.S.-built and mostly U.S. owned and crewed. Shielding U.S. dredging firms from foreign competition means Americans must rely on a domestic fleet that is small, old, and expensive. The results range from costly coastal restoration projects to the less efficient operation of key ports and waterways.

Two bills proposed by Sen. Lee would address the Foreign Dredge Act in the most straightforward way: repealing it.”

Read the entire column.

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