Shipping Relief for Agriculture Act of 1998

[AI summary unavailable — showing source text] Shipping Relief for Agriculture Act of 1998 - Amends Merchant Marine Act, 1920 provisions concerning transportation of merchandise between points in the United States in other than domestic or rebuilt and documented vessels to remove the restriction that a vessel must be constructed in the United States in order to engage in deepwater transportation of agricultural cargo, bulk cargo, and forest products, if the vessel: (1) is documented under U.S. laws; (2) is owned by U.S. citizens; and (3) otherwise meets the requirements of such provisions. Amends other Federal law concerning the endorsement of a certificate of documentation with a coastwise endorsement to permit a freight vessel that was not built in the United States to be endorsed with a coastwise endorsement if the vessel is eligible for documentation and is otherwise qualified, but only with respect to the deepwater transportation of the types of cargo listed above.…