Title 46ShippingRelease 119-73

§55605 Definitions

Title 46 › Subtitle Subtitle V— - Merchant Marine › Part Part D— - Promotional Programs › Chapter CHAPTER 556— - MARINE HIGHWAYS › § 55605

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Defines key words used in the chapter. Marine highway transportation means carrying cargo (and sometimes passengers) on a documented vessel when the cargo is containerized and lifted by crane, driven on or off (like roll-on/roll-off), packed as individual or palletized units, carried as bulk or liquid in tanks or holds, or as freight vehicles on commuter ferries, and the trip is between a U.S. port and another U.S., Canadian, or Mexican port, or between a Canadian or Mexican port and a U.S. port. Tribal government means the officially recognized governing body of any listed Indian or Alaska Native tribe as of when the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 became law. Alaska Native Corporation means the same as “Native Corporation” under section 3 of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1602).

Full Legal Text

Title 46, §55605

Shipping — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

In this chapter:
(1)The term “marine highway transportation” means the carriage by a documented vessel of cargo (including such carriage of cargo and passengers), if such cargo—
(A)is—
(i)contained in intermodal cargo containers and loaded by crane on the vessel;
(ii)loaded on the vessel by means of wheeled technology, including roll-on roll-off cargo;
(iii)shipped in discrete units or packages that are handled individually, palletized, or unitized for purposes of transportation;
(iv)bulk, liquid, or loose cargo loaded in tanks, holds, hoppers, or on deck; or
(v)freight vehicles carried aboard commuter ferry boats; and
(B)is—
(i)loaded at a port in the United States and unloaded either at another port in the United States or at a port in Canada or Mexico; or
(ii)loaded at a port in Canada or Mexico and unloaded at a port in the United States.
(2)The term “Tribal government” means the recognized governing body of any Indian or Alaska Native Tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village, community, component band, or component reservation, individually identified (including parenthetically) in the list published most recently, as of the date of enactment of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023, pursuant to section 104 of the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C. 5131).
(3)The term “Alaska Native Corporation” has the meaning given the term “Native Corporation” under section 3 of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1602).

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The date of enactment of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023, referred to in par. (2), is the date of enactment of Pub. L. 117–263, which was approved Dec. 23, 2022.

Amendments

2022—Pub. L. 117–263 amended section generally. Prior to amendment, section defined the term “marine highway transportation” as used in this chapter. 2021—Pub. L. 116–283 substituted “Marine highway” for “Short sea” in section catchline and “marine highway transportation” for “short sea transportation” in introductory provisions. 2015—Par. (1)(C), (D). Pub. L. 114–92 added subpars. (C) and (D). 2012—Pub. L. 112–213, which directed amendment of section 55605, without specifying the title to be amended, by substituting “by a documented vessel” for “by vessel” in the matter preceding par. (1), was executed to this section, to reflect the probable intent of Congress.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section effective 1 day after Dec. 19, 2007, see section 1601 of Pub. L. 110–140, set out as a note under section 1824 of Title 2, The Congress.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

46 U.S.C. § 55605

Title 46Shipping

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73