American Petroleum First Act

The American Petroleum First Act would exempt vessels transporting crude oil and petroleum products from certain U.S. coastwise endorsement requirements, allowing them to obtain documentation under federal vessel registration laws even if they would otherwise be ineligible. The bill applies broadly to such vessels but explicitly excludes those owned, operated, or crewed by Russian or Chinese nationals or entities, including vessels flagged under Russia or China. It amends existing maritime law to create this exception while modifying related provisions to accommodate the new category of exempt vessels. The goal is to facilitate domestic transport of petroleum by foreign-built or foreign-crewed vessels under specific conditions, subject to the stated exclusions.