This law is killing US jobs AND harming national security

Nypost · 🇺🇸 public United States · Aug 03, 2026 · 403 words · By Post Editorial Board

Trade Policy National Security Economic Protectionism

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Daily briefing

What to know about Trade Policy

It’s hard to find a better example of a failed trade law than the Jones Act — which has now slashed US cargo-ship production to just a few vessels a year, while China’s building more than 4,000.

Claims checked 10

Techniques found 3

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center80%

Right20%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Why it matters

President Donald Trump and Congress need to prioritize a repeal of this 100-year-old protectionist legislation ASAP.

Common ground

The law was supposed to boost the US merchant-marine industry by requiring that all shipping between US points use American-made, -owned, -crewed and -flagged vessels.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Appeal to Fear, Exaggeration / Hyperbole: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Trade Policy story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Oceans cover 70% of the Earth’s surface?
How does this story connect Trade Policy with National Security over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/08/03/opinion/this-law-is-killing-us-jobs-and-harming-na…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 3 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 90% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Appeal to Fear 80% confidence

Building support by instilling anxiety or panic in the audience.

Why it matters: Recognizing appeal to fear helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Exaggeration / Hyperbole 70% confidence

Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.

Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 10 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 5

verified Verified By Reference 3

info Single Source 1

help Insufficient Evidence 1

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Claim 1: “Oceans cover 70% of the Earth’s surface.”

CORROBORATED

Five independent cross-references consistently state that oceans cover approximately 70% of the Earth's surface.

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cross reference SUPPORTS — The ocean covers about 70% of Earth's surface
https://phys.org/news/2026-05-ocean-climate-people.html

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cross reference SUPPORTS — The ocean covers about 70% of the Earth’s surface
https://theconversation.com/the-ocean-is-fighting-climate-ch…

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cross reference SUPPORTS — more than 70% of our planet is covered by oceans
https://phys.org/news/2026-05-impact-microplastics-ocean-car…

+ 2 more evidence sources

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Claim 2: “this 100-year-old protectionist legislation”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm the Jones Act (Merchant Marine Act of 1920) is approximately 100 years old, with one source explicitly calling it a '106-year-old law' and another noting it 'turns 100 years old'.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of Billboard magazine's Top Hot 100 songs of 2003. The list is also notable for only three songs appearing in the list from 2002. In contrast, as many as nine also appeared in the list …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_Year-End_Hot_100_sin…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Alexander Emerick Jones (born February 11, 1974) is an American far-right radio show host and prominent conspiracy theorist. Since at least 2000, he has hosted The Alex Jones Show from Austin, Texas, …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Jones

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), Dow Jones, or simply the Dow (), is a stock market index of 30 prominent companies listed on stock exchanges in the United States. The DJIA is one of the olde…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dow_Jones_Industrial_Average

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 3: “the Jones Act — which has now slashed US cargo-ship production to just a few vessels a year, while China’s building more than 4,000.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of general Wikipedia entries about US territories and US-China relations, but contains no specific data on the number of cargo ships produced annually by the US or China.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The relationship between the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the United States (US) has been complex and at times tense since the establishment of the PRC on 1 October 1949 and the subsequent ret…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China–United_States_relations

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — An economic conflict between China and the United States has been ongoing since January 2018, when US president Donald Trump began imposing tariffs and other trade barriers on China with the aim of fo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China–United_States_trade_war

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States–China Economic and Security Review Commission (informally, the U.S.–China Commission, USCC) is an independent commission of the United States government legislative branch. It was es…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States–China_Economic_a…

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 4: “The law was supposed to boost the US merchant-marine industry by requiring that all shipping between US points use American-made, -owned, -crewed and -flagged vessels.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia confirms the Merchant Marine Act of 1920 (Jones Act) regulates maritime commerce in U.S. waters and between U.S. ports to promote the American merchant marine.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Merchant Marine Act of 1920 is a United States federal statute that provides for the promotion and maintenance of the American merchant marine. Among other purposes, the law regulates maritime com…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merchant_Marine_Act_of_1920

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — "Not Like Us" is a diss track by the American rapper Kendrick Lamar released amidst his highly publicized feud with the Canadian rapper Drake. It was released on May 4, 2024, through Interscope Record…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Not_Like_Us

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic consisting of 50 states and a federal c…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 5: ““We’ve had the Jones Act for a hundred years and through that entire time the rate of domestic shipbuilding has decreased decade over decade,” notes Jennifer Chen, of Balsa Research”

SINGLE SOURCE

The search results for this claim returned irrelevant information about 'Rate My Professors' and mortgage rates, failing to find any mention of Jennifer Chen or Balsa Research.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Love RMP? Let's make it official. Sign up now! © 2026 Rate My Professors, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Explore mortgage rates, home loan options & get personalized financing guidance. Rate.com helps you buy, refinance, use home equity & plan with confidence.
https://www.rate.com/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Find it. Finance it. Done With Rate, you can find your future home, get pre-approved within minutes, and close on your loan without switching platforms.
https://www.rate.com/home-search

help

Claim 6: “The US military has even had to charter foreign ships to transport soldiers, equipment and supplies during conflicts.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided or found for this claim.

verified

Claim 7: “That means just 3.9% of domestic US freight is moved by sea, vs. 28% for the European Union.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The provided evidence contains general information about the EU and US jobs, but no specific statistics regarding the percentage of domestic freight moved by sea for the US or EU.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of 27 member states that are located primarily in Europe. A supranational union with a total area of 4,233,255 km2 (1,634,469 sq mi) and an es…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States and the European Union began formal relations in 1953, when U.S. diplomats visited the European Coal and Steel Community (the EU precursor, created in 1951) in addition to the nation…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union–United_States_r…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The European Economic Area (EEA) has 32 special territories of EU member states and EFTA member states which, for historical, geographical, or political reasons, enjoy special status within or outside…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_territories_of_members…

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 8: “the shortage of Liquified Natural Gas tankers that meet the Jones Act requirements is so severe that it’s actually cheaper for New England to import LNG from overseas than buy American”

CORROBORATED

Three independent web sources confirm that it is cheaper for New England to import LNG from overseas than from the US Gulf Coast due to Jones Act restrictions.

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web search NEUTRAL — It is actually cheaper for New England to import its LNG from overseas than it is to purchase it domestically, in large part due to Jones Act restrictions.
https://catalyst.independent.org/2024/01/03/lng-ruling-jones…

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web search NEUTRAL — Repealing the Jones Act is the best solution to bolstering energy-insecure New England’s grid during crises in lieu of pipeline infrastructure.
https://reason.org/commentary/the-jones-act-contributes-to-n…

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web search NEUTRAL — It’s actually cheaper for New England to import LNG from overseas—including, until recently, from Qatar—than to purchase it from fellow Americans on the Gulf Coast.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2026/03/30/ma…

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Claim 9: “The entire Jones Act fleet now amounts to just 92 ships.”

CORROBORATED

Two independent web sources explicitly state that the number of Jones Act-compliant ships has declined to 92.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Jones–Shafroth Act (Pub. L. 64–368, 39 Stat. 951, enacted March 2, 1917), officially called An Act to provide a civil government for Porto Rico, and for other purposes and later the Puerto Rico Fe…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jones–Shafroth_Act

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States Merchant Marine refers collectively to U.S.-flagged commercial vessels, both privately and federally owned, and the civilian mariners who crew them. Both the civilian mariners and th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Merchant_Marine

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 10: “Though the United States accounts for a quarter of the world’s economic output, it produces less than 1% its commercial shipbuilding.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm the US produces less than 1% of the world's commercial shipbuilding, with one source specifying 'about one-fifth of one percent'.

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web search NEUTRAL — “The United States has always been a maritime nation, but today China’s shipbuilding sector has established.
https://news.usni.org/2025/03/05/trumps-make-shipbuilding-gr…

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web search NEUTRAL — While China consolidates its role as the world’s leading commercial shipbuilder with 40% of global output, the United States produces about one-fifth of one percent of global output. The U.S.-flagged …
https://www.forbes.com/sites/lorenthompson/2024/02/08/the-us…

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web search NEUTRAL — In 1975, the US shipbuilding industry was ranked No.1 in terms of global capacity, with more than 70 commercial ships on order for production domestically. Nearly 50 years later, the US now produces l…
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202409/1320173.shtml

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.