The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed bipartisan legislation that would prohibit certain foreign entities from controlling port facilities.
The Secure Our Ports Act of 2025 would prohibit Chinese, Russian, North Korean, or Iranian state-owned enterprises from entering into contracts for the ownership, lease or operation of U.S. port facilities that are subject to security plans. The bill also applies to a foreign entity with any percentage owned by one of the four countries.
Currently, China owns or operates ports and terminals at nearly 100 locations in more than 50 countries.
“I want to thank my House colleagues for passing the Secure Our Ports Act and taking an important step in protecting our critically important port facilities,” U.S. Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA), who introduced the earlier this year, said. “America’s ports are essential gateways for trade and commerce. We cannot jeopardize America’s economic and national security by allowing foreign adversaries, like China, Russia, North Korea and Iran, to own and operate port infrastructure.”
The Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party issued a report last year expressing national security concerns about Chinese-owned enterprises’ influence on critical port infrastructure.
Several Chinese shipping firms are on a U.S. Department of Defense list of companies identified as military in nature.