---
type: "LegalText"
title: "46 U.S.C. § 55602"
description: "Cargo and shippers"
jurisdiction: "us"
corpus: "united_states_code"
kind: "code_section"
title_number: 46
title_name: "SHIPPING"
chapter_number: "556"
chapter_name: "MARINE HIGHWAYS"
section: "55602"
citation: "46 U.S.C. § 55602"
status: "current"
release_point: "119-100"
release_date: "2026-06-26"
source: "official"
source_url: "https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc46@119-100.zip"
source_identifier: "/us/usc/t46/s55602"
source_file: "data/legal/raw/us/code/title-46/usc46.xml"
source_hash: "1f5decff94001f6e28cbc10d510b044f4ae585bee9d1691154a183774fa7bb55"
raw_snapshot_hash: "eb1331aa3c08ed87231a3606d86b30d1b5942cdf8542f6a3df8ac1d66e86057f"
text_hash: "98d40131e6e2cb53ab385ad2c9e8849099e8d3d7f4239b02bdb82babb029a6bd"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-04"
confidence: "official"
tags: ["legal", "us-code"]
---

# 46 U.S.C. § 55602 - Cargo and shippers

## Text

(a) Memorandums of Agreement.— The Secretary of Transportation shall enter into memorandums of understanding with the heads of other Federal entities to transport federally owned or generated cargo using a marine highway transportation project designated under section 55601 when practical or available.

(b) Short-Term Incentives.— The Secretary shall consult shippers and other participants in transportation logistics and develop proposals for short-term incentives to encourage the use of marine highway transportation.

(Added Pub. L. 110–140, title XI, § 1121(a), Dec. 19, 2007, 121 Stat. 1761; amended Pub. L. 116–283, div. G, title LVXXXIII [LXXXIII], § 8332(d)(4), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4705.)

## Notes

Editorial Notes

Amendments2021—Pub. L. 116–283 substituted “marine highway” for “short sea” in subsecs. (a) and (b).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective DateSection 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.