Today, Congressman Ken Calvert introduced the Secure Our Ports Act, H.R. 252. This legislation aims to enhance national security by preventing foreign adversaries from owning and operating critical infrastructure within the United States.
"America’s ports are essential gateways for trade and commerce which provide the foundation of our economy as well as national security," stated Rep. Calvert. He emphasized that allowing countries such as China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran to own or operate port infrastructure poses a significant threat to this foundation and creates a liability that Congress must address.
The proposed act seeks to prohibit entities that are state-owned enterprises from these four nations from owning, leasing, or operating port facilities in the U.S.
Reports indicate that "China owns or operates ports and terminals at nearly 100 locations in over 50 countries." Last year, a report by the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party raised concerns about national security due to Chinese-owned enterprises' influence over critical port infrastructure. Additionally, the Defense Department recently identified several Chinese shipping firms as having military connections.