Horizon Lines Issues Statement in Strong Support of the Jones Act
CHARLOTTE, N.C., April 27, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Horizon Lines, Inc. (otcqb:HRZL) today issued the following statement from interim President and Chief Executive Officer Stephen H. Fraser:
Horizon Lines is, and always has been, a very staunch supporter of the Jones Act and all of its requirements. The Jones Act stipulates that cargo shipped between two U.S. ports must be transported on vessels that are American-made, American-flagged, at least 75% American-owned and predominantly American crewed. We fully support these requirements and steadfastly believe they are vital to American economic, merchant marine, military, national and homeland security interests. The Jones Act has provided a strong foundation for America's domestic shipping industry since 1920, and has enjoyed the long-standing support of the U.S. Navy, bi-partisan members of Congress and every president in modern history.
As one of the nation's leading domestic ocean shipping companies and as a proud member of the American Maritime Partnership, Horizon Lines understands that the history and livelihood of our company, our customers and the markets we serve are inextricably linked to the Jones Act. Fifty-six years ago this week, the converted U.S. built tanker Ideal X departed Port Newark with 58 containers bound for Port Houston. With that voyage, Sea-Land Service, our predecessor, went on to revolutionize ocean cargo transportation. Today, the associates of Horizon Lines, in partnership with our maritime and shore-side union partners, are proud of the role we play supplying the citizens of Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico with goods that are vital to their lives. The Jones Act has made this possible. It has been integral to our nation's past and it is critical to our future.
About Horizon Lines Horizon Lines, Inc. is one of the nation's leading domestic ocean shipping companies and the only ocean cargo carrier serving all three noncontiguous domestic markets of Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico from the continental United States. The company maintains a fleet of 15 fully Jones Act qualified vessels and operates five port terminals in Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. A trusted partner for many of the nation's leading retailers, manufacturers and U.S. government agencies, Horizon Lines provides reliable transportation services that leverage its unique combination of ocean transportation and inland distribution capabilities to deliver goods that are vital to the prosperity of the markets it serves. The company is based in Charlotte, NC, and its stock trades on the over-the-counter market under the symbol HRZL.
SOURCE Horizon Lines, Inc.
More: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/horizon-lines-issues-statement-in-strong-support-of-the-jones-act-2012-04-27
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Horizon: Jones Act critical to US future
Caribbean Business -
By : KEVIN MEAD
kevin@caribbeanbusinesspr.com
Horizon Lines issued a strong statement in defense of the Jones Act shipping law on Friday as the federal government embarks on a study on its impact on the economies of Puerto Rico and the U.S. “Horizon Lines is, and always has been, a very staunch supporter of the Jones Act and all of its requirements,” said Horizon Lines interim President & CEO Stephen H. Fraser.
The Jones Act stipulates that cargo shipped between two U.S. ports must be transported on vessels that are American-made, American-flagged, at least 75% American-owned and predominantly American crewed. “We fully support these requirements and steadfastly believe they are vital to American economic, merchant marine, military, national and homeland security interests,” Fraser said. “The Jones Act has provided a strong foundation for America’s domestic shipping industry since 1920, and has enjoyed the long-standing support of the U.S. Navy, bipartisan members of Congress and every president in modern history.”
GAO officials were in Puerto Rico this week to interview stakeholders for a study requested by Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi, and supported by Northern Mariana Islands Del. Gregorio, the top Democrat on the House Committee on Natural Resources’ Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans & Insular Affairs; by economists in Puerto Rico; and by the Private Sector Coalition, which represents over 25 organizations on the island.
The principal objective of the study, according to the GAO, is to provide policymakers with a comprehensive, descriptive summary of information on the Puerto Rican and Caribbean Basin trade markets, and how the Jones Act potentially affects these markets.
The resident commissioner has reiterated his conviction that the best way to seek a change in the Jones Act is to demonstrate through evidence that the law has an adverse impact on Puerto Rico’s economy, and that an impartial and credible report by the GAO is necessary to support any Congressional action on this subject. Some economists counter that the negative effects of the Jones Act have been exaggerated.
The GAO said it will attempt to answer three fundamental questions:
— What is the nature of the oceangoing trade markets in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean Basin and what are stakeholder views on how the Jones Act affects these markets?
— How do operating costs compare between Jones Act carriers in the Puerto Rican trade and foreign carriers in the Caribbean Basin, and what are stakeholder views on which U.S. laws might impact costs to foreign carriers in the U.S.-Puerto Rican trade market if the Jones Act did not apply to such trade,
— What is known about the costs and benefits associated with the U.S.-built requirement of the Jones Act as it pertains to the Puerto Rican trade fleet?
To answer each of these questions, the GAO will review relevant background literature and interview relevant stakeholders in both the U.S. and Puerto Rico, including carriers and shippers, industry trade groups, government officials, and others to describe the range of views regarding how the Jones Act affects Puerto Rico, the shipping market, and the broader economy.
The GAO said it would issue its final report between December 1, 2012, and February 28, 2013.
Horizon, Sea Star Line, Crowley Maritime Corp., and Trailer Bridge Inc. control almost all the traffic on the routes between Puerto Rico and the mainland.
“As one of the nation’s leading domestic ocean shipping companies and as a proud member of the American Maritime Partnership, Horizon Lines understands that the history and livelihood of our company, our customers and the markets we serve are inextricably linked to the Jones Act,” Fraser said.
“The Jones Act has been integral to our nation’s past and it is critical to our future,” he concluded.
“As one of the nation’s leading domestic ocean shipping companies and as a proud member of the American Maritime Partnership, Horizon Lines understands that the history and livelihood of our company, our customers and the markets we serve are inextricably linked to the Jones Act,” Fraser said.
“The Jones Act has been integral to our nation’s past and it is critical to our future,” he concluded.
More: http://www.caribbeanbusinesspr.com/news03.php?nt_id=71016&ct_id=1
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