Despite being United States citizens, Puerto Ricans are often restricted from importing goods from the mainland.

As a tropical island, Puerto Rico is accustomed to hurricanes and flooding during the summer. But after every hurricane season, sending aid there is expensive compared to mainland support in the US. This stems from the 1920 Jones Act, which requires that all cargo transportation between two American ports is done on American-manufactured vessels. But the decline of American shipbuilding within the past century and high costs of maintenance and labor aboard said ships has made trade with Puerto Rico increasingly expensive. Cheaper foreign ships have to delay their arrival to Puerto Rico by stopping at other Caribbean islands first. This delays implementation of relief efforts after major storms. The act only hinders Puerto Rico’s integration into the American economy, and as demands for its statehood rise, so must the fight to modify the Jones Act.