An Act to exempt shrimp vessels from the duty imposed on repairs made to, and repair parts and equipment purchased for U.S. vessels in foreign countries, and for other purposes
PL 91-654 (H.R.16745), enacted 01/05/1971

1944 
PUBLIC LAW 91-654-JAN. 5, 1971 
[84 STAT. 
Public Law 91-654 
January 5, 1971 
[H. R. 16745] To limit, in the case of certain special service vessels, the application of the 
duties imposed on equipments and repair parts purchased for, and repairs 
made to, United States vessels in foreign countries. 
U.S. service 
vessels. 
Equipment 
and repairs, 
duty exemption. 
46 Stat, 719. 
19 u s e 257, 
258. 
Crew 
compensation, 
exclusion. 
Conditions. 
Duties, 
refund. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That section 466 
of the Tariff Act of 1930 is amended to read as follows: 
"SEC. 466. EQUIPMENT AND REPAIRS OF VESSELS. 
"(a) The equipments, or any part thereof, including boats, pur-
chased for, or the repair parts or materials to be used, or the expenses 
of repairs made in a foreign country upon a vessel documented under 
the laws of the United States to engage in the foreign or coasting trade, 
or a vessel intended to be employed in such trade, shall, on the first 
arrival of such vessel in any port of the United States, be liable to entry 
and the payment of an ad valorem duty of 50 per centum on the cost 
thereof in such foreign country; and if the owner or master of such 
vessel shall willfully and knowingly neglect or fail to report, make 
entry, and pay duties as herein required, such vessel, with her tackle, 
apparel, and furniture, shall be seized and forfeited. For the purposes 
of this section, compensation paid to members of the regular crew of 
such vessel in connection with the installation of any such equipments 
or any part thereof, or the making of repairs, in a foreign country, 
shall not be included in the cost of such equipment or part thereof, or 
of such repairs. 
"(b) If the owner or master of such vessel furnishes good and 
sufficient evidence that— 
"(1) such vessel, while in the regular course of her voyage, 
was compelled, by stress of weather or other casualty, to put into 
such foreign port and purchase such equipments, or make such 
repairs, to secure the safety and seaworthiness of the vessel to 
enable her to reach her port of destination; 
"(2) such equipments or parts thereof or repair parts or mate-
rials, were manufactured or produced in the L^nited States, and 
the labor necessary to install such equipments or to make such 
repairs was performed by residents of the United States, or by 
members of the regular crew of such vessel; or 
"(3) such equipments, or parts thereof, or materials, or labor, 
were used as dunnage for cargo, or for the packing or shoring 
thereof, or in the erection of temporary bulkheads or other simi-
lar devices for the control of bulk cargo, or in the preparation 
(without permanent repair or alteration) of tanks for the car-
riage of liquid cargo; 
then the Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to remit or refund 
such duties, and such vessel shall not be liable to forfeiture, and no 
license or enrollment and license, or renewal of either, shall here-
after be issued to any such vessel until the collector to whom applica-
tion is made for the same shall be satisfied, from the oath of the 
owner or master, that all such equipments or parts thereof or materials 
and repairs made within the year immediately preceding such applica-
tion have been duly accounted for under the provisions of this section, 
84 STAT. ] 
PUBLIC LAW 91-655-JAN. 5, 1971 
1945 
and the duties accruing thereon duly paid; and if such owner or 
master shall refuse to take such oath, or take it falsely, the vessel 
shall be seized and forfeited. 
"(c) In the case of any vessel designed and used primarily for pur-
poses other than transporting passengers or property in the foreign 
or coasting trade which arrives in a port of the United States two 
years or more after its last departure from a port of the United States, 
the duties imposed by this section shall apply only with respect to 
(1) fish nets and netting, and (2) other equipments, and parts thereof, 
and repair parts and materials purchased, or repairs made, during 
the first six months after the last departure of such vessel from a port 
of the United States." 
SEC. 2. (a) The amendment made by the first section of this Act shall 
apply with respect to entries made in connection with arrivals of 
vessels on or after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
(b) Upon request therefor filed with the customs officer concerned 
on or before the ninetieth day after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, any entry in connection with the arrival of a vessel used primarily 
for the catching of shrimp— 
(1) which was made after January 1,1969, and before the date 
of the enactment of this Act, and 
(2) with respect to which there would have been no duty if the 
amendment made by the first section of this Act applied to such 
shall, notwithstanding the provisions of section 514 of the Tariff Act 
of 1930 or any other provision of law, be liquidated or reliquidated as 
though such entry had been made on the day after the date of the 
enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 3. Effective with respect to entries made in connection with 
arrivals of vessels on or after the date of the enactment of this Act 
(or treated under section 2 as made on the day after such date), 
sections 3114 and 3115 of the Revised Statutes of the United States 
(19 U.S.C. 257 and 258) are repealed. 
Approved January 5, 1971. 
Shrimp 
,'essels. 
Ante, p. 284. 
Repeals. 
Public Law 91-655 
AN ACT 
i\iy 
±\y^ X 
Januarys, 1971 
To amend item 70!).10 of the Tariff Schedules of the United States to provide that 
[H. R. 7311] 
the rate of duty on parts of stethoscopes shall be the same as the rate on 
stethoscopes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatires 
of the 
United States of America m Congress assembled^ That (a) the article 
description for item 709.10 of the Tariff Schedules of the United States 
(19 U.S.C. 1202) is amended to read as follows: "Percussion hammers, 
stethoscopes, and parts of stethoscopes"'. 
(b) The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply with 
respect to articles entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for con-
sumption after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
Approved January 5, 1971. 
stethoscope 
parts. 
Duty. 
77A Stat. 342; 
79 Stat. 945.