The Strategic Ports Reporting Act aims to closely monitor China’s expanding influence over global ports to help the U.S. formulate strategies to counteract it.
WASHINGTON — On Thursday, the House approved legislation that mandates comprehensive oversight of China’s involvement in international port operations. The bill, known as the Strategic Ports Reporting Act, was sponsored by U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Mich.) and calls for the State and Defense Departments to conduct a study on China’s plans to increase its control over global ports.
The study will examine how Beijing’s container shipping company, COSCO Shipping, supports China’s port influence, and it will assess China’s efforts to expand its grip on maritime logistics through initiatives like Logink, a government-backed shipment-tracking platform.
Introduced previously but not passed, the legislation gained renewed momentum this year amid increased concern over China’s strategic reach, especially following heightened attention by the Trump administration to China’s presence in the Panama Canal. The bill now moves to the Senate for approval.
“China’s growing control of global ports poses a threat to our national security and economic stability,” said U.S. Rep. Johnny Olszewski (D-Md.). “The Strategic Ports Reporting Act will provide the U.S. with the tools necessary to monitor and combat this influence, safeguarding our supply chains and global leadership.”
Additionally, the bill would direct the government to create an updated, global map identifying ports significant to U.S. interests—those capable of providing military, diplomatic, economic, or resource advantages—and to monitor Chinese efforts to develop or acquire such ports, directly or indirectly.
