The Maritime Administration, part of the Department of Transportation, is considering a request to determine whether a foreign-built vessel named SUGAR AND SPICE can be approved for coastwise trade, allowing it to carry up to twelve passengers for hire. The vessel is a 43-foot power catamaran, intended for use in passenger day charters and cruises based in Pensacola Beach, Florida. Interested parties are invited to submit comments on how this decision might affect U.S. shipbuilders or businesses using American-flagged vessels. Comments can be submitted through the federal portal or by mail until January 21, 2025, and all received comments will be publicly available.
Simple Explanation
A boat called "SUGAR AND SPICE" wants permission to offer fun rides with up to twelve people on board in Florida, but it's not made in the USA. The grown-ups in charge want to know if this could be unfair to people who make or use American boats, and they are asking others to share their thoughts about it by sending in their comments.