46 U.S.C. § 55304 — Exports financed by the United States Government

This section is a "sense of Congress" — a statement of Congress's opinion and intent, not a strict command carrying penalties. Congress says that when any instrumentality of the United States Government makes loans to help export farm products or other goods, the loan terms should require that those products travel only on vessels of the United States. There is one exception. The Secretary of Transportation can investigate and certify to the lending instrumentality that United States vessels are not available for some or all of the products. The Secretary can make this certification if U.S. vessels lack: - enough ships in number, - enough total carrying capacity (tonnage), - the schedules needed to get the job done, or - reasonable rates. If the Secretary certifies any of these problems, the products covered by that certification do not have to travel on U.S. ships.