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Title 46 — ShippingRelease 119-73not60

§14307 Inspection of Foreign Vessels

Title 46 › Subtitle Subtitle II— Vessels and Seamen › Part J— Measurement of Vessels › Chapter 143— CONVENTION MEASUREMENT › § 14307

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary may inspect a foreign ship to check its tonnage papers. The inspection looks for an International Tonnage Certificate (1969) and whether the ship’s main measurements match the certificate. For ships from countries not in the Convention, the Secretary checks if they were measured under laws and rules like ours; if not, the Secretary may measure the ship. If a ship from a country that joined the Convention lacks the certificate or its measurements make the gross or net tonnage larger than shown, the Secretary must promptly tell the ship’s flag country. A non‑party ship measured under similar rules is treated as if it has an International Tonnage Certificate (1969). Inspections must not delay ships from Convention countries.

Full Legal Text

Title 46, §14307

Shipping — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary may inspect a vessel of a foreign country to verify that—
(1)the vessel has an International Tonnage Certificate (1969) and the main characteristics of the vessel correspond to the information in the certificate; or
(2)if the vessel is from a country not a party to the Convention, the vessel has been measured under laws and regulations similar to those of this chapter and the regulations prescribed under this chapter.
(b)For a vessel of a country that is a party to the Convention, if the inspection reveals that the vessel does not have an International Tonnage Certificate (1969) or that the main characteristics of the vessel differ from those stated on the certificate or other records in a way that increases the gross or net tonnage of the vessel, the Secretary promptly shall inform the country whose flag the vessel is flying.
(c)For a vessel of a country not a party to the Convention—
(1)if the vessel has been measured under laws and regulations that the Secretary finds are similar to those of this chapter and the regulations prescribed under this chapter, the vessel shall be deemed to have been issued an International Tonnage Certificate (1969); and
(2)if the vessel has not been measured as described in clause (1) of this subsection, the Secretary may measure the vessel.
(d)An inspection under this section shall be conducted in a way that does not delay a vessel of a country that is a party to the Convention.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised section 14307 Source: International Convention on Tonnage Measurement of Ships. section 14307(a) authorizes the Secretary to inspect a vessel of a foreign country to verify that the vessel has an International Tonnage Certificate and that the main characteristics of the vessel correspond to the information in the certificate. section 14307(a) also authorizes the Secretary to inspect a vessel from a foreign country that is not a party to the Convention in order to verify that the vessel has been measured under laws and

Regulations

similar to those of this chapter. section 14307(b) requires that if the Secretary inspects a vessel of a country that is a party to the Convention and finds that the vessel does not have an International Tonnage Certificate or that the main characteristics of the vessel differ from those stated on the certificate or other records in a way that increases the gross or net tonnage of the vessel, the Secretary must inform the country whose flag the vessel is flying. section 14307(c) provides that if the Secretary finds that a vessel of a country not a party to the Convention has been measured under laws and

Regulations

similar to those of this chapter, that the vessel shall be deemed to have been issued an International Tonnage Certificate. It also provides that the Secretary may measure the vessel if the Secretary finds that the vessel has not been measured under laws and

Regulations

similar to those of this chapter. section 14307(d) provides that an inspection under this section shall be conducted in a way that does not delay a vessel of a country that is a party to the Convention.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

46 U.S.C. § 14307

Title 46 — Shipping

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60