Posted on September 2, 2025
As we move through Labor Day week—with parades like New York City’s on September 6—it’s a time not only to honor the workers who keep America strong, but also to remain mindful of those aligned with foreign interests who seek to undermine good-paying jobs in our maritime industry.
At first glance, Colin Grabow may appear to be just another Washington think tank scholar critiquing the Jones Act and related maritime laws, such as those governing dredging. But over the past seven years, Grabow has built a steady record of opposition—tweeting hundreds of times against the Jones Act, editing books, publishing blog posts, joining panel discussions and debates, and serving as a frequent media source—all from his perch at the Cato Institute.
Grabow has been transparent about his opposition, but far less clear about who is backing him. The Cato Institute, where he works, is among U.S. think tanks that refuse to disclose their funders. It has received a “zero transparency rating” from the Think Tank Funding Tracker and has been described as a “dark money think tank.”
That secrecy cracked earlier this year when a subcontractor for the European Union (EU) mistakenly filed the EU’s lobbying strategy under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). The filing provided a rare glimpse into a foreign government’s plan to influence U.S. legislation. At the center was a “partnership” with Grabow and Cato, including his role in mapping stakeholders, organizing a “closed-door brainstorming seminar” at Cato, writing anti–Jones Act articles, and even advising on “funny but informative” TikTok-style videos attacking the law.
The EU strategy was explicit: its campaign aimed to “facilitate the participation of companies from the European Union in the U.S. market in both offshore wind power and dredging.” In plain terms, the goal was to displace American dredges, ships, workers, and companies with European firms using foreign vessels and foreign crews in U.S. waters—undermining the very work base of the U.S. Merchant Marine.
Though the EU rushed to amend the filing to remove the six-page campaign description, several media outlets had already obtained it. In one report, gCaptain revealed the document under the headline, “EU Delegation’s Campaign to Dismantle Jones Act Exposed in Government Filing.” While Cato dismissed the filing as “erroneous” and “firmly denied” any involvement, the EU’s own spokesman admitted to the collaboration, stating: “We regularly work and have contact with think tanks throughout Washington, D.C., on policy issues, including issues relevant to EU-U.S. relations, including with the Cato Institute.”
To put this in perspective, the U.S. dredging industry is not an inefficient market. It is highly competitive, saving taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars each year. In recent years, more than 55 different companies have received dredging contracts annually from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers—including over 20 large firms and nearly 35 small businesses. Each project, whether unrestricted, small-business set-aside, or hopper dredge, attracted an average of three bidders, ensuring competitive pricing. At the same time, the industry is undergoing a $3 billion fleet recapitalization to expand capacity and efficiency, ensuring it can meet rising federal and private demands while contributing to environmental sustainability.
Seen in this light, the Cato–EU partnership is less surprising. Certain EU countries have long pressed for greater access to U.S. dredging and offshore projects. Grabow’s work has consistently amplified those interests, with more than 200 social media posts about dredging and offshore wind. He has appeared alongside EU officials, and when editing a book on the Jones Act, he included a chapter on reforming U.S. dredging written by Howard Gutman, a registered lobbyist for the EU dredging industry and former U.S. Ambassador to Belgium. After leaving his diplomatic post, Gutman quickly pivoted to championing European dredging interests, leading multiple campaigns against the Jones Act and the Dredging Act.
Grabow’s writings often echo EU talking points, even comparing U.S. dredging laws unfavorably with European policies. The timing is also notable: the EU’s game plan covered late 2024 through early 2025, precisely when Grabow and Cato were publishing a steady stream of critiques. In one Cato blog post, Grabow even celebrated the “newfound interest” in the Foreign Dredge Act—describing it as “essentially the Jones Act but applied to dredging instead of cargo.”
The fallout was immediate. The bipartisan leadership of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee sent a letter to the head of the EU’s Washington delegation, warning that “it appears the EU is seeking to influence U.S. policy on the Jones Act not through diplomatic means, but instead through an advocacy campaign, including collaboration with previously undisclosed United States organizations and social media influencers.” The letter was signed by Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO), Ranking Member Rick Larsen (D-WA), Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee Chairman Mike Ezell (R-MS), and Subcommittee Ranking Member Salud Carbajal (D-CA).
In effect, Colin Grabow has become the American face of the EU’s campaign against the Jones Act and the Dredging Act. Yet across years of articles, books, public comments, and social media, he never once disclosed his relationship with the EU. Now, thanks to that mistaken filing, the connection is undeniable.
We have a strong labor workforce in the United States—and it’s only going to grow stronger as we continue to invest in American workers, American companies, and the industries that keep our nation moving. Wishing a safe and restful Labor Day week to all U.S. mariners—both afloat and ashore.
About the Author: William P. Doyle is CEO of the Dredging Contractors of America. He previously served as Executive Director of the Port of Baltimore and as a U.S. Federal Maritime Commissioner. A graduate of Massachusetts Maritime Academy and Widener University Commonwealth Law School, he is a licensed officer in the U.S. merchant marine and a member of the Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association (AFL-CIO).
