“ If the charges were reasonable, than the Southern exporters would have continued to use them, but if the charges were reasonable, why did the US Government have to implement protectionist policies like the Navigation Act of 1817 and succeeding versions all the way up to the Jones Act of 1922? ”
Sales commissions and lending fees have nothing to with navigation. Furthermore, the purpose of such legislation was to protect domestic industries, the same as virtually identical laws in many other countries.
As much as 3.5 trillion has to do with "Infrastructure." The "navigation act" was protectionism for Northeastern shipping interests. Just like the current liberals voting rights act they are trying to pass simply encourages election fraud, so too do they like to name bills in an innocuous or heroic sounding manner, but the bills often do something very different. Usually some form of corruption or favor for special interests.
Furthermore, the purpose of such legislation was to protect domestic industries,...
Now you are getting it. And where were these industries it was protecting primarily located?