Sponsors (40)
Introduced July 21, 2025 by August Pfluger · Last progress July 21, 2025
The bill strengthens U.S. tools and transparency to punish and deter foreign expropriations and discrimination (helping exporters and national security) at the cost of higher import and servicing risks, legal uncertainty, potential retaliation, and harms to some U.S. maritime and travel-related businesses.
U.S. exporters, investors, and small businesses gain stronger trade-enforcement tools (expanded Section 301 triggers) to seek remedies when foreign governments seize or unfairly treat their assets, improving chances of compensation or sanctions.
American taxpayers and the government will be able to block imports and deny servicing/docking for vessels tied to foreign-controlled ports after expropriation, reducing U.S. exposure to goods routed through compromised facilities and increasing leverage against unlawful seizures.
Carriers, importers, and government bodies (including state governments and Congress) get faster, clearer information because the bill requires public listing of designated risky port facilities within 60 days, improving transparency for commercial and policy planning.
Taxpayers and consumers could face higher prices as carriers and importers incur higher costs or reroute shipments when frequently used ports are designated or when trade enforcement actions increase, disrupting supply chains.
U.S. firms and workers risk retaliatory measures from trading partners if Section 301 is used more broadly, potentially costing export markets and creating further supply-chain disruptions for American businesses.
U.S. shipyards and maritime service providers (repair, refueling, victualing) could lose business and jobs if vessels are barred from U.S. ports for servicing because they called at designated foreign ports.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Authorizes DHS (with Treasury and State) to list certain foreign ports tied to U.S.-owned access land and bars vessels tied to those sites from U.S. import/servicing; expands Section 301 grounds to include expropriation and discriminatory treatment of U.S. assets.
Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security, with concurrence from the Secretaries of the Treasury and State, to identify and publish within 60 days ports, harbors, or marine terminals in Western Hemisphere free-trade-partner countries that are accessible only by land owned or controlled by a U.S. person and where the foreign government has seized or nationalized that land since Jan 1, 2024; vessels loaded at or previously held at any such designated property would be barred from importing or releasing goods in the United States, from docking or discharging passengers on U.S. passenger vessels, and from receiving repair, refueling, victualing, dry-docking, or other servicing in U.S. ports. It also expands the Trade Act Section 301 statutory language to make foreign expropriation, arbitrary or capricious treatment, denial of due process, or nationality-based discrimination with respect to assets of a U.S. person explicit bases for Section 301 action by the U.S. Trade Representative.