The United States and Korea are entering a pivotal phase of maritime cooperation. Since the start of the Trump 2.0 administration, South Korean shipbuilders have been courted as key partners in reviving the U.S. shipbuilding industry, with Seoul pledging $150 billion under the “Make America Shipbuilding Great Again” initiative to modernize naval capacity, expand commercial shipyards, and strengthen allied supply chains.
Join us for a timely conversation with Colin Grabow (Cato Institute) as we explore how to steer this new bilateral framework toward mutual maritime and economic prosperity. At the heart of the discussion is the Jones Act, the 1920 law mandating domestically built and owned vessels for U.S. coastal trade. Together, we will consider whether reforms to the Act—or innovative partnership models—can unlock the full potential of U.S.–Korea maritime collaboration.
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Revisiting the Jones Act: From Protectionism to Partnership
Wednesday, October 8, 2025 | 6 PM (EDT)
The Korea Society
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10017
About the Speaker
Colin Grabow is an Associate Director at the Cato Institute’s Herbert A. Stiefel Center for Trade Policy Studies where his research focuses on domestic forms of trade protectionism such as the Jones Act and the U.S. sugar program.
His writings have been published in a number of outlets, including USA Today, The Hill, National Review, and the Wall Street Journal.
Prior to joining the Cato Institute, he performed political and economic analysis for a Japan-based trading and investment firm and published research and analysis for an international affairs consulting firm with a focus on U.S.-Asia relations.
Grabow holds a BA in international affairs from James Madison University and an MA in international trade and investment policy from George Washington University.