§ 553 — Importation Or Exportation Of Stolen Motor Vehicles, Off-highway Mobile Equipment, Vessels, Or Aircraft

(a) Whoever knowingly imports, exports, or attempts to import or export— (1) any motor vehicle, off-highway mobile equipment, vessel, aircraft, or part of any motor vehicle, off-highway mobile equipment, vessel, or aircraft, knowing the same to have been stolen; or (2) any motor vehicle or off-highway mobile equipment or part of any motor vehicle or off-highway mobile equipment, knowing that the identification number of such motor vehicle, equipment, or part has been removed, obliterated, tampered with, or altered; (b) Subsection (a)(2) shall not apply if the removal, obliteration, tampering, or alteration— (1) is caused by collision or fire; or (A) in the case of a motor vehicle, is not a violation of section 511 of this title (relating to altering or removing motor vehicle identification numbers); or (B) in the case of off-highway mobile equipment, would not be a violation of section 511 of this title if such equipment were a motor vehicle. (c) As used in this section, the term— (1) “motor vehicle” has the meaning given that term in section 32101 of title 49; (2) “off-highway mobile equipment” means any self-propelled agricultural equipment, self-propelled construction equipment, and self-propelled special use equipment, used or designed for running on land but not on rail or highway; (3) “vessel” has the meaning given that term in section 401 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1401); (4) “aircraft” has the meaning given that term in section 40102(a) of title 49; and (5) “identification number”— (A) in the case of a motor vehicle, has the meaning given that term in section 511 of this title; and (B) in the case of any other vehicle or equipment covered by this section, means a number or symbol assigned to the vehicle or equipment, or part thereof, by the manufacturer primarily for the purpose of identifying such vehicle, equipment, or part.