United States Department of Transportation

Supplemental Guidance

The documents below provide supplemental guidance for shippers and carriers of Government-impelled cargo.

Document list
Document Reference	Document Title
OCP-2009-01	Vessels, Owners, Operators Prohibited from Carrying Government Impelled Cargo
OCP-2009-02	Listing of priorities of U.S.-flag shipping services for compliance with Cargo Preference requirements of the Cargo Preference Act of 1954
MIL-2009-02	Transportation Requirements for Department of Defense Projects in Guam
AG-2009-01	“The United States Government is currently in the process of reviewing the manner in which the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are conforming with the Cargo Preference Act (“CPA”), 46 U.S.C. § 55305 et seq., which requires that a minimum percentage of ocean cargo generated by certain Government programs be transported on U.S.-flag vessels".
AG-2009-03	Procedures for Determining Vessel Categories Liberty Appeal to MARAD (November 2009)
AG-2009-02	Memorandum of Understanding among the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the U.S. Agency for International Development Regarding Procedures for Determining Vessel Service Categories for Purposes of the Cargo Preference Act
MIL-2010-06	Summary of Procedures to Follow Under Department of Defense Contracts When U.S.-Flag Service is Not Available
n/a	Maritime Administration U.S.-Flag Shipping Guidance for Shipments Financed by the Export-Import Bank of the United States
n/a	The Cargo Preference Act of 1954 and Related Legislation

For more information regarding cargo preference, please visit the following links:

Office of Cargo and Commercial Sealift

Cargo Preference Laws and Regulations

Last updated: Friday, January 3, 2025