Courts Provide Guidance On Customs Jones Act Ruling Process

A September 24, 2025 U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia opinion in the case of Radtke v. U.S. Bureau of Customs & Border Protection casts further light on the U.S. Customs and Border Protection ruling process relating to the Jones Act. This recent opinion adds to the guidance contained in a February 7, 2025 U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit opinion in the case of Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company, L.L.C. v. Magnus.

The United States reserves its domestic maritime trade to qualified U.S.-flag vessels in a set of laws commonly referred to as the "Jones Act." In particular, the cargo statute reserves to qualified U.S.-flag vessels "the transportation of merchandise by water, or by land and water, between points in the United States." Potential penalties for violating the Jones Act are substantial.