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46 U.S.C. § 109

U.S. CodeFederalPositive Law
Foreign commerce or trade
About This Law
/us/usc/t46/s109
Title
46 — Shipping
Chapter
STI/CH1
Release
119-84
Release Date
2026-04-17

Section Text

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(a) In General.—In this title, the terms “foreign commerce” and “foreign trade” mean commerce or trade between a place in the United States and a place in a foreign country. (b) Capital Construction Funds and Construction-Differential Subsidies.—In the context of capital construction funds under chapter 535 of this title, and in the context of construction-differential subsidies under title V of the Merchant Marine Act, 1936, the terms “foreign commerce” and “foreign trade” also include, in the case of liquid and dry bulk cargo carrying services, trading between foreign ports in accordance with normal commercial bulk shipping practices in a manner that will permit bulk vessels of the United States to compete freely with foreign bulk vessels in their operation or competition for charters, subject to regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Transportation. (Pub. L. 109–304, § 4, Oct. 6, 2006, 120 Stat. 1487.) Historical and Revision Notes RevisedSectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 10946 App.:1244(a).June 29, 1936, ch. 858, title IX, § 905(a), 49 Stat. 2016; June 23, 1938, ch. 600, § 39(a), 52 Stat. 964; Pub. L. 91–469, § 28, Oct. 21, 1970, 84 Stat. 1034; Pub. L. 92–402, § 2, Aug. 22, 1972, 86 Stat. 617; Pub. L. 97–31, § 12(133)(A), Aug. 6, 1981, 95 Stat. 165. In subsection (a), the words “its Territories or possessions, or the District of Columbia” are omitted because of the definition of “United States” in this chapter. Editorial Notes References in TextThe Merchant Marine Act, 1936, referred to in subsec. (b), is act June 29, 1936, ch. 858, 49 Stat. 1985. Title V of the Act enacted provisions set out as notes under section 53101 of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title of 1936 Amendment note set out under section 101 of this title and Tables.

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