§319. Civil penalties for trading without required certificate of documentation

Whenever a vessel, entitled to be documented and not so documented, is employed in a trade for which certificates of documentation are issued under the vessel documentation laws, other than a trade covered by a registry, the vessel is liable to a civil penalty of $500 for each port at which it arrives without the proper certificate of documentation, and if it has on board any merchandise of foreign growth or manufacture (sea stores excepted), or any taxable domestic spirits, wines, or other alcoholic liquors, on which the duties or taxes have not been paid or secured to be paid, the vessel, together with its equipment and cargo, is liable to seizure and forfeiture. Marks, labels, brands, or stamps, indicative of foreign origin, upon or accompanying merchandise or containers of merchandise found on board such vessel, shall be prima facie evidence of the foreign origin of such merchandise.

(June 19, 1886, ch. 421, §7, 24 Stat. 81 ; Aug. 5, 1935, ch. 438, title III, §314, 49 Stat. 529 ; Pub. L. 96–594, title I, §126(e), Dec. 24, 1980, 94 Stat. 3459 .)

Amendments

1980-Pub. L. 96–594 substituted provisions relating to violations and penalties for employment in a trade of a vessel entitled to be documented but not so documented for provisions relating to fines and penalties for trading without a license by a vessel twenty tons or upward, and struck out provisions respecting expiration of a license while a vessel is at sea.

1935-Act Aug. 5, 1935, provided for forfeiture, to deem marks, etc., prima facie evidence of foreign origin of merchandise, and to substitute "said fine or forfeiture" for "said fine of $30" in last sentence.

Effective Date of 1980 Amendment

Section 128 of Pub. L. 96–594 provided in part that the amendment made by Pub. L. 96–594 is effective on first day of eighteenth month following December 1980.

Section Referred to in Other Sections

This section is referred to in section 320 of this Appendix.