24. Receipts from sales or charges for repairs, alterations or conversion of commercial ships or any component thereof including cargo containers of any type whatsoever, barges and other vessels of 50-ton burden or over, primarily engaged in interstate or foreign commerce, machinery, apparatus and equipment for use at a marine terminal facility in loading, unloading and handling cargo carried by those commercial ships, barges and other vessels, and storage and other services rendered with respect to such loading, unloading and handling cargo at a marine terminal facility, ferryboats that are primarily engaged in the transportation of passengers during peak hours of commutation, or other vessels, regardless of tonnage, primarily engaged in commercial fishing or shell fishing, including equipment necessary for harvesting fish, shellfish and other crustaceans and aquatic organisms, or other vessels primarily engaged in commercial party boat (head boat) sport fishing and subject to annual inspection by the United States Coast Guard, and of governmentally-owned ships, barges and other vessels and property used by or purchased for the use of such vessels, machinery, apparatus and equipment for fuel, provisions, supplies, maintenance and repairs (other than articles purchased for the original equipping of a new ship) are exempt from the tax imposed under the Sales and Use Tax Act.

L.1980,c.105,s.24; amended 1981, c.218, s.1; 1988, c.53; 1999, c.273.