1. (a) Domicile and Principal Office in United States.— A container owner domiciled and having its principal office in the United States shall have the container—

   1. (1) approved initially under procedures prescribed by the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating or by the government of another country that is a party to the Convention; and
   2. (2) examined periodically as provided in the Convention under procedures prescribed by the Secretary.

2. (b) Domicile or Principal Office in United States.— A container owner domiciled or having its principal office in the United States shall have the container—

   1. (1) approved initially under procedures prescribed by the Secretary or by the government of another country that is a party to the Convention; and
   2. (2) examined periodically as provided in the Convention, under procedures prescribed by the government of the country in which the owner is domiciled or has its principal office, as long as that country is a party to the Convention.
3. (c) Neither Domicile Nor Principal Office in United States.— A container owner neither domiciled nor having its principal office in the United States or another country that is a party to the Convention may submit a container for initial approval and periodic examination under procedures prescribed by the Secretary.

(Pub. L. 109–304, § 11, Oct. 6, 2006, 120 Stat. 1695.)

In this section, the words “Beginning on the date the instrument of ratification is deposited by the United States in accordance with the provisions of article VII of the Convention, for new containers, and beginning on September 6, 1982, for existing containers” are omitted as obsolete.

In subsections (a)(1) and (b)(1), the words “government of another country that is a party to the Convention” are substituted for “administration of another contracting party to the Convention” for clarity.

In subsection (c), the word “initial” is added for consistency in the section.