Hawaiian Rum Company Files Lawsuit Challenging the Jones Act, Citing Constitutional Violations

Koloa Rum Company, a renowned distillery based on Hawaii’s island of Kauai, has filed a federal lawsuit challenging the century-old Merchant Marine Act of 1920, commonly known as the Jones Act.

The lawsuit, filed on February 25, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, asserts that the Jones Act violates the Constitution’s Port Preference Clause by disproportionately disadvantaging businesses in non-contiguous states like Hawaii and Alaska.

The Jones Act mandates that all goods transported between U.S. ports be carried on vessels that are built, owned, and crewed by U.S. citizens. While intended to bolster the domestic shipping industry, critics argue that it has led to inflated shipping costs…