American Cargo for American Ships Act

This section would give the Act the short title "American Cargo for American Ships Act."

This section would amend section 55305 of title 46, United States Code, which requires certain cargo procured or financed by the United States Government to be carried on privately-owned commercial vessels of the United States. It would revise the existing requirement in subsection (a) of section 55305 so that it applies except as provided in a new exception added by this section, and it would renumber the current subsections (c) through (f) of section 55305 as subsections (d) through (g) to make room for a new subsection (c). The new subsection (c) would apply when the Department of Transportation procures, contracts for, or otherwise obtains equipment, materials, or commodities for its own account, or when the Department provides financing in any way with federal funds, or advances funds or credits, for someone else to furnish or obtain that equipment, materials, or commodities. In either of those situations, the Secretary of Transportation or the recipient of that financing would have to take the steps necessary and practicable to ensure that 100 percent of the gross tonnage of the equipment, materials, or commodities that may be transported on ocean vessels, computed separately for dry bulk carriers, dry cargo liners, and tankers, is transported on privately-owned commercial vessels of the United States in the manner provided under subsection (b). This 100 percent requirement would apply only to the extent that those United States commercial vessels are available at fair and reasonable rates, and it would have to be carried out so that United States commercial vessels get a fair and reasonable share of the cargo across different geographic areas.