Maritime Administration September 15, 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Pursuant to a Memorandum of Understanding Among the United States Department of Agriculture, the United States Department of Transportation, and the United States Agency for International Development Regarding Procedures for Determining Vessel Service Categories for Purposes of the Cargo Preference Act, dated September 4, 2009 (the MOU, a copy of which is attached hereto and posted at the Web site of the Maritime Administration (MARAD), https://www.marad.dot.gov), notice is hereby given by MARAD that procedures as set forth herein are established for vessel owners or operators to designate the service category of individual vessels for purposes of compliance with the Cargo Preference Act (CPA). Where the owner or operator designates the category of its vessel, such self-designations will be docketed in the public record, published, and an opportunity will be provided for comment by interested parties. Each self-designation and the record supporting it is subject to review by MARAD. If MARAD disagrees with a self-designation, the process for determination, appeal and further administrative review is set forth below. These procedures are intended to be interim procedures implementing the MOU entered into by MARAD, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and a 2002 Department of Justice interpretation of the CPA, pending the formal promulgation of regulations by MARAD.