§ 883-1. Corporation as citizen; fisheries and transportation of merchandise or passengers between points in United States; parent and subsidiary corporations; domestic built vessels; certi
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a corporation incorporated under the laws of the United States or any State, Territory, District, or possession thereof, shall be deemed to be a citizen of the United States for the purposes of and within the meaning of that term as used in sections
316,
808,
835, and
883 of this Appendix, and the laws relating to the documentation of vessels, if it is established by a certificate filed with the Secretary of the Treasury as hereinafter provided, that—
(b)
not less than 90 per centum of the employees of such corporation are residents of the United States;
(c)
such corporation is engaged primarily in a manufacturing or mineral industry in the United States or any Territory, District, or possession thereof;
(d)
the aggregate book value of the vessels owned by such corporation does not exceed 10 per centum of the aggregate book value of the assets of such corporation; and
(e)
such corporation purchases or produces in the United States, its Territories, or possessions not less than 75 per centum of the raw materials used or sold in its operations
but no vessel owned by any such corporation shall engage in the fisheries or in the transportation of merchandise or passengers for hire between points in the United States, including Territories, Districts, and possessions thereof, embraced within the coastwise laws, except as a service for a parent or subsidiary corporation and except when such vessel is under demise or bareboat charter at prevailing rates for use otherwise than in the domestic noncontiguous trades from any such corporation to a carrier subject to jurisdiction under subchapter
II of chapter
135 of title
49, which otherwise qualifies as a citizen under sections
802 and
803 of this Appendix, and which is not connected, directly or indirectly, by way of ownership or control with such corporation.
As used herein (1), the term “parent” means a corporation which controls, directly or indirectly, at least 50 per centum of the voting stock of such corporation, and (2), the term “subsidiary” means a corporation not less than 50 per centum of the voting stock of which is controlled, directly or indirectly, by such corporation or its parent, but no corporation shall be deemed to be a “parent” or “subsidiary” hereunder unless it is incorporated under the laws of the United States, or any State, Territory, District, or possession thereof, and there has been filed with the Secretary of the Treasury a certificate as hereinafter provided.
Vessels built in the United States and owned by a corporation meeting the conditions hereof which are non-self-propelled or which, if self-propelled, are of less than five hundred gross tons as measured under section
14502 of title
46, or an alternate tonnage measured under section 14302 of that title as prescribed by the Secretary under section 14104 of that title, shall be entitled to documentation under the laws of the United States, and except as restricted by this section, shall be entitled to engage in the coastwise trade and, together with their owners or masters, shall be entitled to all the other benefits and privileges and shall be subject to the same requirements, penalties, and forfeitures as may be applicable in the case of vessels built in the United States and otherwise documented or exempt from documentation under the laws of the United States.
A corporation seeking hereunder to document a vessel under the laws of the United States or to operate a vessel exempt from documentation under the laws of the United States shall file with the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States a certificate under oath, in such form and at such times as may be prescribed by him, executed by its duly authorized officer or agent, establishing that such corporation complies with the conditions of this section above set forth. A “parent” or “subsidiary” of such corporation shall likewise file with the Secretary of the Treasury a certificate under oath, in such form and at such time as may be prescribed by him, executed by its duly authorized officer or agent, establishing that such “parent” or “subsidiary” complies with the conditions of this section above set forth, before such corporation may transport any merchandise or passengers for such parent or subsidiary. If any material matter of fact alleged in any such certificate which, within the knowledge of the party so swearing is not true, there shall be a forfeiture of the vessel (or the value thereof) documented or operated hereunder in respect to which the oath shall have been made. If any vessel shall transport merchandise for hire in violation of this section, such merchandise shall be forfeited to the United States. If any vessel shall transport passengers for hire in violation of this section, such vessel shall be subject to a penalty of $200 for each passenger so transported. Any penalty or forfeiture incurred under this section may be remitted or mitigated by the Secretary of the Treasury under the provisions of section
2107
(b) of title
46.
Any corporation which has filed a certificate with the Secretary of the Treasury as provided for herein shall cease to be qualified under this section if there is any change in its status whereby it no longer meets the conditions above set forth, and any documents theretofore issued to it, pursuant to the provisions of this section, shall be forthwith surrendered by it to the Secretary of the Treasury.