Title 46, ShippingRelease 119-102
§12120 Liquified Gas Tankers
Title 46 › Subtitle II — Vessels and Seamen › Part H — Identification of Vessels › CHAPTER 121 — DOCUMENTATION OF VESSELS › SUBCHAPTER II — ENDORSEMENTS AND SPECIAL DOCUMENTATION › § 12120
Summary
Despite U.S. agreements, the Secretary may issue coastwise endorsements to carry LNG or LPG to Puerto Rico from U.S. ports if a vessel was foreign-built before Oct. 19, 1996, or was U.S.-documented before that date—even if later foreign-flagged and re-documented.
Full Legal Text
Title 46, §12120
Shipping, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Notwithstanding any agreement with the United States Government, the Secretary may issue a certificate of documentation with a coastwise endorsement for a vessel to transport liquified natural gas or liquified petroleum gas to Puerto Rico from other ports in the United States, if the vessel—
(1)is a foreign built vessel that was built before October 19, 1996; or
(2)was documented under this chapter before that date, even if the vessel is placed under a foreign registry and subsequently redocumented under this chapter for operation under this section.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 1212046 App.:883 note.Pub. L. 104–324, title VII, § 1120(f), Oct. 19, 1996, 110 Stat. 3978. The words “Notwithstanding section 27 of the Merchant Marine Act, 1920 (46 App. U.S.C. 883), section 12106 of title 46, United States Code, section 506 of the Merchant Marine Act, 1936 (46 App. U.S.C. 1156)” are omitted as unnecessary. The words “the Commonwealth of” are omitted as unnecessary and for consistency in the revised title.
Editorial Notes
Prior Provisions
A prior section 12120, Pub. L. 98–89, Aug. 26, 1983, 97 Stat. 589; Pub. L. 100–710, title I, § 104(a)(4), Nov. 23, 1988, 102 Stat. 4750; Pub. L. 108–293, title IV, § 401, Aug. 9, 2004, 118 Stat. 1042; Pub. L. 109–241, title III, § 308, July 11, 2006, 120 Stat. 528, originally derived from section 65t of former Title 46, Shipping, related to reports, prior to the general amendment of this chapter by Pub. L. 109–304. See section 12139 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
46 U.S.C. § 12120
Title 46, Shipping
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102