The Great Lakes Maritime Task Force (GLMTF) says some 60,000 jobs would be sacrificed if the law’s US-build requirement is eliminated, and yet it says there would be no benefit to allowing foreign-built ships to carry cargo between US ports in the region.

“The vessels built in Great Lakes shipyards are so efficient that year in, year out they save their customers billions of dollars in freight costs compared to the land-based transportation modes,” said GLMTF president John Baker.