Maritime investigators

(a) In general The Secretary of State shall, in coordination with the Chair of the Federal Maritime Commission, detail to diplomatic and consular posts in countries described in subsection (b) personnel from the Division for Trade Policy and Negotiations and Division for Transportation Affairs of the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs for the purpose of investigating— (1) unfair shipping practices, including price-fixing, market manipulation, or unreasonable refusal to deal; (2) specific actions by foreign governments to deny port of entry to United States-flagged vessels; (3) flags of convenience to determine if lower safety, labor, and environmental standards in foreign countries create unfavorable shipping conditions for United States trade; (4) anticompetitive agreements between ocean carriers and marine terminal operators for potential antitrust issues; and (5) mapping the financial relationships of shipping companies of the People’s Republic of China, including the Ocean Alliance. (b) Locations of investigators The countries described in this subsection are countries that meet each of the following criteria: (1) The country is among the top 5 countries globally by ship registry size and maintains an open registry, allowing foreign-owned vessels to register under the flag of such country without a residency requirement (also known as a flag of convenience policy). (2) The country is among the top 15 countries globally with respect to not less than 2 of the following criteria: (A) Shipbuilding, as measured by tonnage as a percentage of global total. (B) Number of citizens or nationals who are merchant mariners. (C) Number of commercially owned ships greater than 1,000 gross weight tonnage. (c) Inclusion of findings in investment climate statement Section 707(b) of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (22 U.S.C. 9903) is amended by inserting after paragraph (11) the following new paragraph: (12) Information about unfair business practices in the maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors in each applicable country or region, including— (A) price-fixing; (B) market manipulation; (C) unreasonable refusal to deal (as such term is defined for purposes of section 7(d) of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 (46 U.S.C. 41104 note)); and (D) anticompetitive agreements between ocean carriers and marine terminal operators.. (d) Disclosure of certain investments by countries receiving aid Section 7031(b)(2) of division K of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014 (Public Law 113–76; 128 Stat. 510) is amended by inserting and investments in maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors after allocation practices).