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‘‘(1) passengers between ports in southeastern Alaska; or 
‘‘(2) passengers or merchandise between Hyder, Alaska, and other 
points in southeastern Alaska or in the United States outside Alaska. 
‘‘CHAPTER 553—PASSENGER AND CARGO PREFERENCES 
‘‘SUBCHAPTER I—GENERAL 
‘‘Sec. 
‘‘55301.
Priority loading for coal. 
‘‘55302.
Transportation of United States Government personnel. 
‘‘55303.
Motor vehicles owned by United States Government personnel. 
‘‘55304.
Exports financed by the United States Government. 
‘‘55305.
Cargoes procured, furnished, or financed by the United States Government. 
‘‘SUBCHAPTER II—EXPORT TRANSPORTATION OF AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES 
‘‘55311.
Findings and purposes. 
‘‘55312.
Determining prevailing world market price. 
‘‘55313.
Exemption of certain agricultural exports from cargo preference provisions. 
‘‘55314.
Transportation requirements for certain exports sponsored by the Secretary of Agri-
culture. 
‘‘55315.
Minimum tonnage. 
‘‘55316.
Financing the transportation of agricultural commodities. 
‘‘55317.
Termination of subchapter. 
‘‘55318.
Effect on other law. 
‘‘SUBCHAPTER III—AMERICAN GREAT LAKES VESSELS 
‘‘55331.
Definitions. 
‘‘55332.
Designating American Great Lakes vessels. 
‘‘55333.
Exemption from restriction on transporting certain cargo. 
‘‘55334.
Restrictions on operations. 
‘‘55335.
Revocations and terminations of designations. 
‘‘55336.
Civil penalty. 
‘‘SUBCHAPTER I—GENERAL 
‘‘§ 55301. Priority loading for coal 
‘‘A vessel engaged in the coastwise transportation of coal produced in the 
United States, from a port in the United States to another port in the United 
States, shall be given priority in loading at any of those ports ahead of a 
waiting vessel engaged in the export transportation of coal produced in the 
United States. However, if the Secretary of Transportation finds that it is 
in the national interest, the Secretary may eliminate this priority loading at 
any port. The Secretary shall report to Congress within 30 days an action 
eliminating priority loading under this section. 
‘‘§ 55302. Transportation of United States Government per-
sonnel 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—An officer or employee of the United States Govern-
ment traveling by sea on official business overseas or to or from a territory 
or possession of the United States shall travel and transport personal effects 
on a vessel documented under the laws of the United Sates if such a vessel 
is available, unless the necessity of the mission requires the use of a foreign 
vessel. 
‘‘(b) REGULATIONS.—The Administrator of General Services shall prescribe 
regulations under which agencies may not pay for or reimburse an officer or
185 
employee for travel or transportation expenses incurred on a foreign vessel in 
the absence of satisfactory proof of the necessity of using the vessel. 
‘‘§ 55303. Motor vehicles owned by United States Government 
personnel 
‘‘Notwithstanding any other law, privately-owned American shipping serv-
ices may be used to transport motor vehicles owned by personnel of the United 
States Government whenever transportation of those vehicles at Government 
expense is otherwise authorized by law. 
‘‘§ 55304. Exports financed by the United States Government 
‘‘It is the sense of Congress that any loans made by an instrumentality of 
the United States Government to foster the exporting of agricultural or other 
products shall provide that the products may be transported only on vessels 
of the United States unless, as to any or all of those products, the Secretary 
of Transportation, after investigation, certifies to the instrumentality that 
vessels of the United States are not available in sufficient number, in suffi-
cient tonnage capacity, on necessary schedules, or at reasonable rates. 
‘‘§ 55305. Cargoes procured, furnished, or financed by the 
United States Government 
‘‘(a) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘privately-owned commercial 
vessel of the United States’ does not include a vessel that, after September 21, 
1961, was built or rebuilt outside the United States or documented under the 
laws of a foreign country, until the vessel has been documented under the laws 
of the United States for at least 3 years. 
‘‘(b) MINIMUM TONNAGE.—When the United States Government procures, 
contracts for, or otherwise obtains for its own account, or furnishes to or for 
the account of a foreign country without provision for reimbursement, any 
equipment, materials, or commodities, within or without the United States, 
or advances funds or credits, or guarantees the convertibility of foreign cur-
rencies in connection with the furnishing of the equipment, materials, or com-
modities, the appropriate agencies shall take steps necessary and practicable 
to ensure that at least 50 percent of the gross tonnage of the equipment, mate-
rials, or commodities (computed separately for dry bulk carriers, dry cargo 
liners, and tankers) which may be transported on ocean vessels is transported 
on privately-owned commercial vessels of the United States, to the extent those 
vessels are available at fair and reasonable rates for commercial vessels of the 
United States, in a manner that will ensure a fair and reasonable participa-
tion of commercial vessels of the United States in those cargoes by geographic 
areas. 
‘‘(c) WAIVERS.—The President, the Secretary of Defense, or Congress (by 
concurrent resolution or otherwise) may waive this section temporarily by— 
‘‘(1) declaring the existence of an emergency justifying a waiver; and
186 
‘‘(2) notifying the appropriate agencies of the waiver. 
‘‘(d) PROGRAMS OF OTHER AGENCIES.—An agency having responsibility 
under this section shall administer its programs with respect to this section 
under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Transportation. The Sec-
retary shall review the administration of those programs and report annually 
to Congress on their administration. 
‘‘SUBCHAPTER II—EXPORT TRANSPORTATION OF AGRICULTURAL 
COMMODITIES 
‘‘§ 55311. Findings and purposes 
‘‘(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 
‘‘(1) a productive and healthy agricultural industry and a strong and 
active United States maritime industry are vitally important to the eco-
nomic well-being and security of the United States; 
‘‘(2) both industries must compete in international markets increas-
ingly dominated by foreign trade barriers and the subsidization practices 
of foreign governments; and 
‘‘(3) increased agricultural exports and the use of merchant vessels of 
the United States contribute positively to the United States balance of 
trade and generate employment opportunities in the United States. 
‘‘(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this subchapter are to— 
‘‘(1) enable the Secretary of Agriculture to plan export programs effec-
tively, by clarifying the ocean transportation requirements applicable to 
those programs; 
‘‘(2) take immediate and positive steps to promote the growth of the 
cargo-carrying capacity of the United States merchant marine; 
‘‘(3) expand international trade in United States agricultural com-
modities and products and develop, maintain, and expand markets for 
United States agricultural exports; 
‘‘(4) improve the efficiency of administration of both the commodity 
purchasing and selling activities and the ocean transportation activities 
associated with export programs sponsored by the Secretary; 
‘‘(5) stimulate and promote the agricultural and maritime industries 
of the United States and encourage cooperative efforts by both industries 
to address their common problems; and 
‘‘(6) provide for the appropriate disposition of these findings and pur-
poses. 
‘‘§ 55312. Determining prevailing world market price 
‘‘(a) AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES AND PRODUCTS.—The prevailing world 
market price for agricultural commodities or their products shall be deter-
mined under this subchapter under procedures prescribed by the Secretary of
187 
Agriculture. The Secretary shall prescribe the procedures by regulation, with 
notice and opportunity for public comment under section 553 of title 5. 
‘‘(b) SERVICES AND NON-AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES AND PRODUCTS.— 
If a determination of the prevailing world market price of any other type of 
materials, goods, equipment, or service is required to determine whether a 
barter or exchange transaction is subject to section 55314(b)(6) or (7) of this 
title, the determination shall be made by the Secretary of Agriculture in con-
sultation with the heads of other appropriate agencies. 
‘‘§ 55313. Exemption of certain agricultural exports from 
cargo preference provisions 
‘‘Sections 55304 and 55305 of this title do not apply to export activities 
of the Secretary of Agriculture or the Commodity Credit Corporation under 
which— 
‘‘(1) agricultural commodities or their products acquired by the Cor-
poration are made available to United States exporters, users, processors, 
or foreign purchasers for the purpose of developing, maintaining, or ex-
panding export markets for United States agricultural commodities or 
their products at prevailing world market prices; 
‘‘(2) payments are made available to United States exporters, users, 
or processors or, except as provided in section 55314 of this title, cash 
grants are made available to foreign purchasers, for the purpose de-
scribed in paragraph (1); 
‘‘(3) commercial credit guarantees are blended with direct credits from 
the Corporation to reduce the effective rate of interest on export sales of 
United States agricultural commodities or their products; 
‘‘(4) credit or credit guarantees for not more than 3 years are extended 
by the Corporation to finance or guarantee export sales of United States 
agricultural commodities or their products; or 
‘‘(5) agricultural commodities or their products owned or controlled by 
or under loan from the Corporation are exchanged or bartered for mate-
rials, goods, equipment, or services at least equal in value to the agricul-
tural commodities or their products for which they are exchanged or 
bartered (determined on the basis of prevailing world market prices at 
the time of the exchange or barter), but this paragraph does not exempt 
from the cargo preference provisions referred to in section 55314(b) of 
this title any requirement otherwise applicable to the materials, goods, 
equipment, or services imported under the transaction. 
‘‘§ 55314. Transportation requirements for certain exports 
sponsored by the Secretary of Agriculture 
‘‘(a) MINIMUM TONNAGE.—