Strategic Ports Reporting Act

The bill would direct the Secretary of State, working with the Secretary of Defense, to do two things. First, it would require development of an updated global map identifying foreign and domestic ports important to the United States for military, diplomatic, economic, or resource-exploitation reasons, and flagging any Chinese government or entity efforts to build, buy, or control those ports. Second, it would require a comprehensive study and report — due within one year of enactment — covering all strategic ports owned or controlled by China or Chinese persons, all such ports owned or controlled by the United States, an assessment of Chinese expansion strategies (including the logistics software LOGINK and industry-standard-setting), vulnerabilities at U.S.-linked ports, and a suggested strategy with funding sources to counter Chinese control.

The bill does not direct any specific U.S. action beyond the study, map, and report. It authorizes the agencies to contract out the study to a federally funded research and development center. Both the map and the report must be submitted in unclassified form, though classified annexes are permitted.

The Department of State and Department of Defense bear the primary responsibility for conducting the study and producing the report. Relevant U.S. Government offices — including Unified Combatant Commands, the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the Maritime Administration — would be consulted. Congressional committees overseeing foreign affairs, armed services, commerce, transportation, and intelligence would receive the deliverables.

If enacted, the bill would for the first time require a systematic, government-wide inventory of China-linked port ownership and U.S. port vulnerabilities, along with a concrete strategy and identified funding sources to counter Chinese maritime influence. That strategy could inform future legislation, executive action, or investment decisions affecting U.S. allies and partners near strategically significant ports.

The Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense would jointly develop the global port map and conduct the study, with an option to contract the study to a federally funded research and development center. They would consult the heads of relevant U.S. Government offices — including combatant commands, the DFC, ODNI, and the Maritime Administration — when developing the suggested strategy. Both the map and the full report must be submitted to the appropriate congressional committees no later than one year after enactment, in unclassified form with optional classified annexes.