Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 120.djvu/1591

 120 STAT. 1560

Reports.

Records.

PUBLIC LAW 109–304—OCT. 6, 2006

character of the governmental aid and subsidies granted by foreign governments to their merchant marine. ‘‘(b) LAWS APPLICABLE TO AIRCRAFT.—The Secretary shall investigate, determine, and keep current records of the provisions of law relating to shipping that should be made applicable to aircraft engaged in foreign commerce to further the policy in section 50101 of this title, and any appropriate legislation in this regard. ‘‘(c) AID FOR COTTON, COAL, LUMBER, AND CEMENT.—The Secretary shall investigate, determine, and keep current records of the advisability of enactment of suitable legislation authorizing the Secretary, in an economic or commercial emergency, to aid farmers and producers of cotton, coal, lumber, and cement in any section of the United States in the transportation and landing of their products in any foreign port, which products can be carried in dry-cargo vessels by reducing rates, by supplying additional tonnage to any American operator, or by operation of vessels directly by the Secretary, until the Secretary considers the special rate reduction and operation unnecessary for the benefit of those farmers and producers. ‘‘(d) INTERCOASTAL AND INLAND WATER TRANSPORTATION.—The Secretary shall investigate, determine, and keep current records of intercoastal and inland water transportation, including their relation to transportation by land and air. ‘‘(e) OBSOLETE TONNAGE AND TRAMP SERVICE.—The Secretary shall make studies and reports to Congress on— ‘‘(1) the scrapping or removal from service of old or obsolete merchant tonnage owned by the United States Government or in use in the merchant marine; and ‘‘(2) tramp shipping service and the advisability of citizens of the United States participating in that service with vessels under United States registry. ‘‘(f) MORTGAGE LOANS.—The Secretary shall investigate the legal status of mortgage loans on vessel property, with a view to the means of improving the security of those loans and of encouraging investment in American shipping. ‘‘§ 50110. Securing preference to vessels of the United States ‘‘(a) POSSIBILITIES OF PROMOTING CARRIAGE.—The Secretary of Transportation shall investigate, determine, and keep current records of the possibilities of promoting the carriage of United States foreign trade in vessels of the United States. ‘‘(b) INDUCEMENTS TO IMPORTERS AND EXPORTERS.—The Secretary shall study and cooperate with vessel owners in devising means by which the importers and exporters of the United States can be induced to give preference to vessels of the United States. ‘‘(c) LIAISON WITH AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONS.—The Secretary shall establish and maintain liaison with such other agencies of the United States Government, and with such representative trade organizations throughout the United States, as may be concerned, directly or indirectly, with any movement of commodities in the waterborne export and import foreign commerce of the United States, for the purpose of securing preference to vessels of the United States in the shipment of those commodities. ‘‘§ 50111. Reports to Congress ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than April 1 of each year, the Secretary of Transportation shall submit a report to Congress.

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