U.S. Code > Title 46 Shipping > Subtitle V—Merchant Marine (§§ 50101—58109) > Part C—Financial Assistance Programs (§§ 53101—54101) > CHAPTER 531—MARITIME SECURITY FLEET (§§ 53101—53111) > § 53101. Definitions

§ 53101. Definitions

In this chapter:
(1) Bulk cargo.— The term “bulk cargo” means cargo that is loaded and carried in bulk without mark or count.
(2) Contractor.— The term “contractor” means an owner or operator of a vessel that enters into an operating agreement for the vessel with the Secretary under section 53103.
(3) Fleet.— The term “Fleet” means the Maritime Security Fleet established under section 53102 (a).
(4) Foreign commerce.— The term “foreign commerce”—
(A) subject to subparagraph (B), means—
(i) commerce or trade between the United States, its territories or possessions, or the District of Columbia, and a foreign country; and
(ii) commerce or trade between foreign countries; and
(B) includes, in the case of liquid and dry bulk cargo carrying services, trading between foreign ports in accordance with normal commercial bulk shipping practices in such manner as will permit United States-documented vessels freely to compete with foreign-flag bulk carrying vessels in their operation or in competing for charters, subject to rules and regulations promulgated by the Secretary of Transportation pursuant to this chapter or subtitle D of the Maritime Security Act of 2003.
(5) LASH vessel.— The term “LASH vessel” means a lighter aboard ship vessel.
(6) Participating fleet vessel.— The term “participating fleet vessel” means any vessel that—
(A) on October 1, 2005—
(i) meets the requirements of paragraph (1), (2), (3), or (4) of section 53102 (c); and
(ii) is less than 25 years of age, or less than 30 years of age in the case of a LASH vessel; and
(B) on December 31, 2004, is covered by an operating agreement under subtitle B of title VI of the Merchant Marine Act, 1936 (46 App. U.S.C. 1187 et seq.).[1]
(7) Person.— The term “person” includes corporations, partnerships, and associations existing under or authorized by the laws of the United States, or any State, Territory, District, or possession thereof, or of any foreign country.
(8) Product tank vessel.— The term “product tank vessel” means a double hulled tank vessel capable of carrying simultaneously more than 2 separated grades of refined petroleum products.
(9) Secretary.— The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of Transportation.
(10) Tank vessel.— The term “tank vessel” has the meaning that term has under section 2101 of this title.
(11) United states.— The term “United States” includes the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands.
(12) United states citizen trust.—
(A) Subject to subparagraph (C), the term “United States citizen trust” means a trust that is qualified under this paragraph.
(B) A trust is qualified under this paragraph with respect to a vessel only if—
(i) each of the trustees is a citizen of the United States; and
(ii) the application for documentation of the vessel under chapter 121 of this title includes the affidavit of each trustee stating that the trustee is not aware of any reason involving a beneficiary of the trust that is not a citizen of the United States, or involving any other person that is not a citizen of the United States, as a result of which the beneficiary or other person would hold more than 25 percent of the aggregate power to influence or limit the exercise of the authority of the trustee with respect to matters involving any ownership or operation of the vessel that may adversely affect the interests of the United States.
(C) If any person that is not a citizen of the United States has authority to direct or participate in directing a trustee for a trust in matters involving any ownership or operation of the vessel that may adversely affect the interests of the United States or in removing a trustee for a trust without cause, either directly or indirectly through the control of another person, the trust is not qualified under this paragraph unless the trust instrument provides that persons who are not citizens of the United States may not hold more than 25 percent of the aggregate authority to so direct or remove a trustee.
(D) This paragraph shall not be considered to prohibit a person who is not a citizen of the United States from holding more than 25 percent of the beneficial interest in a trust.
(13) United states-documented vessel.— The term “United States-documented vessel” means a vessel documented under chapter 121 of this title.

[1] See References in Text note below.