Defending American Property Abroad Act of 2025
- senate
- house
- president
Last progress July 21, 2025 (4 months ago)
Introduced on July 21, 2025 by William Francis Hagerty
Sponsors (12)
House Votes
Senate Votes
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Presidential Signature
AI Summary
This bill aims to protect Americans’ property that gets taken by foreign governments. It tells U.S. agencies to quickly identify ports and related facilities in certain nearby trade-partner countries if those places were taken over (nationalized) or seized (expropriated). Within 60 days, the government must publish a list of these sites. After a site is listed, the President must block ships that used those ports from bringing goods or passengers into the United States, and from getting repairs, fuel, or other services here. This includes cargo and passenger vessels (like cruise ships) that loaded or were held at a listed port. The goal is to pressure countries that seize property linked to Americans.
The bill also updates U.S. trade law so that taking or unfairly treating Americans’ assets abroad counts as an “unreasonable or discriminatory” practice, which can trigger U.S. trade action. This includes direct or indirect takeovers, unfair or arbitrary treatment, denial of fair process, and discrimination based on nationality.
| Who is affected | What changes | When |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. importers and shippers | Ships that used listed foreign ports cannot bring goods into the U.S. or receive services here | After the government publishes the list (within 60 days of enactment) |
| Cruise lines and passengers | Passenger vessels that used listed ports cannot dock or disembark passengers in the U.S. | After designation/listing |
| Americans with assets abroad | New grounds for U.S. trade actions if their assets are seized or treated unfairly by foreign governments | Upon enactment of the amendment to trade law |