the Jones Act and the Gulf cleanup

why aren't supertankers being used as holding/transport tanks so that the gushing oil could be sucked up and removed? the Jones Act---all super tankers are made elsewhere (not USA) and are prohibited to operate in USA waters. this law protects the US maritime/labor union industry. The Merchant Marine Act of 1920 (P.L. 66-261) is a United States Federal statute that regulates maritime commerce in U.S. waters and between U.S. ports.

Section 27, also known as the Jones Act, deals with cabotage (i.e., coastal shipping) and requires that all goods transported by water between U.S. ports be carried in U.S.-flag ships, constructed in the United States, owned by U.S. citizens, and crewed by U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents. The purpose of the law is to support the U.S. merchant marine industry, but agricultural interests generally oppose it because, they contend, it raises the cost of shipping their goods, making them less competitive with foreign sources. [1] Furthermore, its establishment is de facto protectionism and a union-oriented legislature.