HONOLULU — A federal judge has cast doubt on the fate of a lawsuit that sought to bar enforcement of the Jones Act, a law that in part requires domestic shipping to be performed by vessels owned and flagged by the United States.

The lawsuit was filed by John Carroll, a Honolulu lawyer who is running for the Republican nomination for governor next year.
U.S. District Judge David Ezra said Monday that Carroll’s plaintiffs appear to lack standing to sue. He says the lawsuit stated generalized grievances best resolved by Congress, not specific claims that the courts can adjudicate.
Carroll argues the law is harmful to Hawaii because it results in higher prices for goods shipped into the state, and has caused some businesses to fold.
Ezra says he will soon issue a ruling.