MARAD Notice: Foreign-built Vessel Coastwise Trade Eligibility

Content

ACTION:

Notice and request for comments.

SUMMARY:

The Secretary of Transportation, as represented by MARAD, is authorized to make determinations regarding the coastwise use
of foreign built; certain U.S. built; and U.S. and foreign rebuilt vessels that solely carry no more than twelve passengers
for hire. MARAD has received such a determination request and is publishing this notice to solicit comments to assist with
determining whether the proposed use of the vessel set forth in the request would have an adverse effect on U.S. vessel builders
or U.S. coastwise trade businesses that use U.S.-built vessels in those businesses. Information about the requestor's vessel,
including a description of the proposed service, is in the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
section below.

DATES:

Submit comments on or before April 17, 2026.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments identified by DOT Docket Number MARAD-2026-0399 by any one of the following methods:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://www.regulations.gov. Search the above DOT Docket Number and follow the instructions for submitting comments.

• Mail or Hand Delivery: Docket Management Facility is in the West Building, Ground Floor of the U.S. Department of Transportation. The Docket Management
Facility location address is U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, Room W12-140, Washington,
DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except on Federal holidays.

Note:

If you mail or hand-deliver your comments, we recommend that you include the DOT Docket Number, your name and a mailing address,
an email address or a telephone number in the body of your document so that we can contact you if we have questions regarding
your submission.

Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name and specific DOT Docket Number. All comments received will be posted
without change to the docket at www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided. For detailed instructions on submitting comments, or to submit comments that
are confidential in nature, see the section entitled Public Participation.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Patricia Hagerty, U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Mail Stop 2, MAR-620,
Washington, DC 20590. Telephone: (202) 366-5400. Email: smallvessels@dot.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Pursuant to 46 U.S.C. 12121(b), the U.S. Coast Guard may issue a certificate of documentation with a coastwise trade endorsement
for eligible, small passenger vessels authorized to carry no more than 12 passengers for hire if MARAD, after notice and an
opportunity for public comment, determines the use of the small

  passenger vessel in the coastwise trade will not adversely affect United States vessel builders or the coastwise trade business
  of any person that employs vessels built in the United States in that business. [(1)]()

MARAD has received an eligibility determination request. Further details about the requester's vessel and its proposed operations
may be found in the determination request posted in the DOT Docket Number listed in the
ADDRESSES
section above at https://www.regulations.gov. Interested parties may comment on the undue adverse effect this action may have on U.S. vessel builders or coastwise trade
businesses in the U.S. that employ U.S.-built vessels in those businesses. Comments should refer to the vessel name, state
the commenter's interest in the request, and demonstrate, with supporting documentation, the undue adverse effect on U.S.
vessel builders and coastwise trade businesses.

Public Participation

How do I submit comments?

Please submit comments, including the attachments, following the instructions provided under the above heading entitled
ADDRESSES
. It may take a few hours or even days for comments to be reflected on the docket. Comments must be written in English. Provide
concise comments and attach additional documents as necessary. There is no limit on the length of the attachments.

Where do I go to read public comments, and find supporting information?

The docket online is located at https://www.regulations.gov, keyword search the DOT Docket Number list in the
ADDRESSES
section above or visit the Docket Management Facility (see
ADDRESSES
for hours of operation). Please periodically check the Docket for new submissions and supporting material.

Will my comments be made available to the public?

Yes. Your entire comment, including your personal identifying information, will be made publicly available.

May I submit comments confidentially?

You may request that MARAD treat your comments as commercially confidential by submitting them to SmallVessels@dot.gov. Include in the email subject heading “Contains Confidential Commercial Information” or “Contains CCI” and state in your submission,
with specificity, the basis for any such confidential treatment highlighting the CCI portions. If possible, please provide
a summary of your submission that can be made available to the public.

If MARAD receives a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for the information, procedures described in the Department's
FOIA regulation at 49 CFR 7.29 will be followed. Only information that is ultimately determined to be confidential under those
procedures will be exempt from disclosure under FOIA.

Privacy Act

Anyone can search the electronic form of all comments received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual submitting
the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf of an association, business, labor union, etc.). For information
on DOT's compliance with the Privacy Act, please visit https://www.transportation.gov/privacy.

(Authority: 46 U.S.C. 12121, 49 CFR 1.93(a))

By Order of the Maritime Administrator.

T. Mitchell Hudson, Jr., Secretary, Maritime Administration. [FR Doc. 2026-05307 Filed 3-17-26; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910-81-P

Footnotes

(1) The U.S. Coast Guard and MARAD have authority under 46 U.S.C. 12121(b) through the Secretary of the Department of Homeland
Security and the Secretary of the Department of Transportation, respectively.

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