Section 4.15 - Fishing vessels touching and trading at foreign places(a) Before any vessel documented with a fishery license endorsement shall touch and trade at a foreign port or place, the master shall obtain from the port director a permit on Customs Form 1379 to touch and trade. When a fishing vessel departs from the United States and there is an intent to stop at a foreign port (1) to lade vessel equipment which was preordered, (2) to purchase and lade vessel equipment, or (3) to purchase and lade vessel equipment to replace existing vessel equipment, the master of the vessel must either clear for that foreign port or obtain a permit to touch and trade, whether or not the vessel will engage in fishing on that voyage. Purchases of such equipment, whether intended at the time of departure or not, are subject to declaration, entry, and payment of duty pursuant to section 466 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (19 U.S.C. 1466 ). The duty may be remitted if it is established that the purchases resulted from stress of weather or other casualty.
If such a vessel puts into a foreign port or place and only obtains bunkers, stores, or supplies suitable for a fishing voyage, it is not considered to have touched and traded there. Fish nets and netting are considered vessel equipment and not vessel supplies.
[29-61] [Reserved]