A new report by Seafarers’ Rights International (SRI), commissioned by the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), finds that cabotage laws — national rules reserving domestic maritime trade for home-flag vessels — are now in force across 85% of the world’s coastlines, reports WorkBoat.
Cabotage laws expanding worldwide
According to The Cabotage Laws of the World (2025) study, 105 countries now enforce cabotage laws, up from 91 in 2018. The report notes that these laws are spreading “faster than ever before in the centuries-long history of cabotage,” as nations increasingly view them as essential tools for economic resilience and national security.
“Countries appear no longer to be viewing cabotage as merely economic policy, but also as essential to national security and strategic autonomy in an increasingly unstable geopolitical environment,” said Deirdre Fitzpatrick, co-author of the report and executive director of SRI. “These 105 nations represent a remarkably diverse group controlling 85% of the global coastline. We are proud that interest in our first report appears to have translated into concrete action, with nations strengthening maritime strategies for a world grown more uncertain since the pandemic.”
For the United States, cabotage is governed by the Jones Act, a 1920 law requiring vessels transporting goods between U.S. ports to be U.S.-built, -owned, -flagged, and -crewed. The law underpins domestic shipbuilding, supports an estimated 650,000 jobs, and contributes $150 billion annually to the U.S. economy, the SRI report highlighted.
“This report provides a compelling and independent affirmation of what the maritime community has long recognized — the Jones Act serves the best interests of the United States, its mariners, and our economic and national security,” said David Heindel, president of the Seafarers International Union and chair of the ITF Seafarers’ Section. “The United States remains the global benchmark for strong cabotage and maritime policy, and it is no surprise that nations confronting today’s geopolitical challenges are reinforcing their own cabotage frameworks to preserve sovereignty and safeguard critical maritime infrastructure.”
Jennifer Carpenter, president of the American Maritime Partnership, said the U.S. must remain vigilant in protecting its maritime supply chain. “The United States must take the lead in securing our own maritime border and domestic supply chain and not let foreign governments or foreign carriers decide our fate. Just as we wouldn’t allow foreign airlines to transport passengers between U.S. cities or foreign trucks to ply U.S. highways, the same principle has long applied for maritime,” Carpenter said. “We are grateful that President Trump and a strong bipartisan majority in Congress understand the importance of putting America First and preserving U.S. control over our waterways.”
Beyond the U.S., the report identifies several nations, including South Korea, Japan, Israel, Brazil, Turkey, and China, that have enacted strong cabotage frameworks modeled on similar principles.
SRI’s authors noted many governments are adopting these laws to “contest the emergence of the new global geopolitical order” while ensuring that domestic fleets remain capable of supporting national economies and defense requirements.
With roughly 40,000 vessels in the Jones Act fleet, the U.S. continues to serve as a reference point for countries reinforcing their maritime sovereignty through cabotage policy, the report said.
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Source: WorkBoat
