VESSEL SHARING AGREEMENTS.

SEC. 424. VESSEL SHARING AGREEMENTS. (a) Section 5 of the Shipping Act of 1984 (46 U.S.C. App. 1704) is amended by adding at the end the following: “(g) Vessel Sharing Agreements.— An ocean common carrier that is the owner, operator, or bareboat, time, or slot charterer of a United States-flag liner vessel documented pursuant to sections 12102(a) or (d) of title 46, United States Code, is authorized to agree with an ocean common carrier that is not the owner, operator or bareboat charterer for at least 1 year of United States-flag liner vessels which are eligible to be included in the Maritime 112 STAT. 3441Security Fleet Program and are enrolled in an Emergency Preparedness Program pursuant to subtitle B of title VI of the Merchant Marine Act, 1936 (46 U.S.C. App. 1187 et seq.), to which it charters or subcharters the United States-flag vessel or space on the United States-flag vessel that such charterer or subcharterer may not use or make available space on the vessel for the carriage of cargo reserved by law for United States-flag vessels.”. (b) Section 10(c)(6) of the Shipping Act of 1984 (46 U.S.C. App. 1709(c)(6)) is amended by inserting “authorized by section5(g) of this Act, or as” before “otherwise”. (c) Nothing in this section shall affect or in any way diminish the authority or effectiveness of orders issued by the Maritime Administration pursuant to sections 9 and 41 of the Shipping Act,1916 (46 U.S.C. App. 808 and 839). (d) Section 3(6)(B) of the Shipping Act of 1984 (46 U.S.C. App. 1702(6)(B)) is amended by striking “parcel-tanker.” and inserting “parcel-tanker or by vessel when primarily engaged in the carriage of perishable agricultural commodities (i) if the common carrier and the owner of those commodities are wholly-owned, directly or indirectly, by a person primarily engaged in the marketing and distribution of those commodities and (ii) only with respect to the carriage of those commodities.”.