Storm-damaged harbors have reopened an old fight over why goods cost so much in Hawaii — bad news for shoppers, but the blame may be less clear-cut than it looks.

• Hawaii brings in 85% of its goods by ship, so any harbor damage quickly turns into a price problem.
• Shipping companies say ocean freight is only a small slice of what you pay at the register, up to 5%.
• Most of the cost piles up elsewhere: trucking, rail, warehousing and distribution on both ends.
• Critics want the Jones Act changed or scrapped, since it blocks foreign ships from carrying cargo between US ports and keeps competition low.
• Nobody can put a firm number on what islanders would actually save if that law went away.

Outlook: Expect the repeal push to get louder while harbor repairs continue, but no quick change to the law.