46 U.S.C. § 55334

Restrictions on operations

(a) Prohibitions.—

Except as provided in subsection (b), an American Great Lakes vessel may not be used to—

(1)

engage in trade—

(A)

from a port in the United States that is not located on the Great Lakes; or

(B)

between ports in the United States;

(2)

transport bulk cargo (as defined in section 40102 of this title ) that is subject to section 55305 or 55314 of this title or section 2631 of title 10 ; or

(3)

provide a service (except ocean freight service) as—

(A)

a contract carrier; or

(B)

a common carrier on a fixed advertised schedule offering frequent sailings at regular intervals in the foreign trade of the United States.

(b) Off-Season Exception.—

An American Great Lakes vessel may be used for not more than 90 days during any 12-month period to engage in trade prohibited by subsection (a)(1)(A), except during the Great Lakes shipping season.

( Pub. L. 109–304, § 8(c) , Oct. 6, 2006 , 120 Stat. 1649 .)