Request for Use of Foreign Vessel RIPTIDE in Coastwise Trade

The Maritime Administration received a request for use of foreign vessel RIPTIDE in coastwise trade, posted to Regulations.gov under docket MARAD-2026-0431-0002. The document is currently in draft/pending status. Coastwise trade is typically restricted to U.S.-flagged vessels under the Jones Act, and MARAD evaluates requests for foreign vessel waivers on a case-by-case basis.

Since the actual document content is not available for review, compliance officers should monitor Regulations.gov for the full RIPTIDE request details. Any interested party, particularly U.S. maritime industry stakeholders, should submit comments if the waiver could affect their operations. The request does not appear to carry immediate compliance deadlines or penalties as it relates to a single vessel waiver request.