republic-os/legal/us/code/title-46/chapter-534/section-53401.md

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LegalText	46 U.S.C. § 53401	Definitions	us	united_states_code	code_section	46	SHIPPING	534	TANKER SECURITY FLEET	53401	46 U.S.C. § 53401	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc46@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t46/s53401	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-46/usc46.xml	161f4338a4eaa8c130430e5059149202262c8da2cdb10dcf74d8a275c5cbf706	eb1331aa3c08ed87231a3606d86b30d1b5942cdf8542f6a3df8ac1d66e86057f	9d5e927165fd5664bfe07120af5be9e75bc0063fd0cb5e3f05af61abb86cd297	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

46 U.S.C. § 53401 - Definitions

Text

In this chapter:

(1) Foreign commerce.— The term “foreign commerce” means—

(A) commerce or trade between the United States, its territories or possessions, or the District of Columbia, and a foreign country; and

(B) commerce or trade between foreign countries.

(2) Participating fleet vessel.— The term “participating Fleet vessel” means any product tank vessel covered by an operating agreement under this chapter on or after January 1, 2022, that—

(A) meets the requirements of one of paragraphs (1) through (4) of section 53402(b) of this title; and

(B) is no more than 20 years of age.

(3) Person.— The term “person” includes corporations, partnerships, and associations existing under, or authorized by, laws of the United States, or any State, territory, district, or possession thereof, or any foreign country.

(4) 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.

(5) Program participant.— The term “program participant” means an owner or operator of a vessel that enters into an operating agreement covering a participating fleet vessel with the Secretary under section 53403.

(6) Secretary.— The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of Transportation, unless the context indicates otherwise.

(7) United states citizen trust.— The term “United States citizen trust”—

(A) means a trust for which—

(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 an 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 who 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;

(B) does not include a trust for which 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 without cause, either directly or indirectly through the control of another person, 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; and

(C) may include a trust for which a person who is not a citizen of the United States holds more than 25 percent of the beneficial interest in the trust.

(8) Long term charter.— The term “long term charter” means any time charter of a product tank vessel to the United States Government that, together with options, occurs for a continuous period of more than 180 days.

(Added Pub. L. 116–283, div. C, title XXXV, § 3511(a), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4408; amended Pub. L. 117–81, div. C, title XXXV, § 3515(a), Dec. 27, 2021, 135 Stat. 2243.)

Notes

Editorial Notes

Amendments2021—Par. (8). Pub. L. 117–81 added par. (8).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective DatePub. L. 116–283, div. C, title XXXV, § 3511(d), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4419, provided that: “(1) In general.—This section [enacting this chapter and provisions set out as a note under section 53402 of this title] shall take effect on the date on which the Secretary of Defense—“(A) has completed the report on United States flagged fuel tanker vessel capacity as required by section 3519 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 [Pub. L. 116–92, 133 Stat. 1987]; “(B) has submitted that report to the appropriate committees of Congress; “(C) publishes certification—“(i) that a program for United States-flagged fuel tanker vessels as prescribed in chapter 534 of title 46, United States Code, as amended by this section, for the purpose of providing additional United States-flagged fuel tanker vessels is in the national security interest of the United State; and “(ii) of the number of such additional tankers covered under such a program that could be necessary to meet Department of Defense wartime requirements. “(2) Appropriate committees of congress defined.—In this section the term ‘appropriate committees of Congress’ means—“(A) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate; and “(B) the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives.”