GOP Lawmaker Introducing Bill To Block China From US Port Access

GOP Rep. Michelle Steel is pushing a bill aimed at securing U.S. ports from adversaries like China.

At a Glance

GOP Rep. Michelle Steel is introducing the Secure Our Ports Act.
The bill aims to block state-owned enterprises from China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran from using U.S. ports.
Concerns over Chinese dominance in global shipping logistics spur the need for this bill.
The bill seeks to enhance America’s economic and national security.

Introduction of the Secure Our Ports Act

GOP Rep. Michelle Steel is putting forward a bill called the Secure Our Ports Act to prevent China and other adversarial nations from gaining access to U.S. ports. Steel, a member of the House Select Committee on Communist China, advocates this legislative move to safeguard American supply chains and national security.

Steel’s bill specifically targets companies that are wholly or partially owned by state-owned enterprises from China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran. The bill aims to restrict these entities from operating or managing ports in the United States.

House GOP rolling out bill to block China from accessing US ports https://t.co/aBlIaOvTdc

— Fox News (@FoxNews) September 13, 2024

National Security Concerns

One of the primary motivations behind this bill is the growing concern over Chinese influence on U.S. port infrastructure. National security and defense officials have raised alarms that Chinese-owned equipment and cranes at U.S. ports could potentially serve as spying tools. To counter these threats, the bill seeks to “shore up America’s economic and national security in the face of threats from Communist China and their like-minded allies.”

“Congress must protect America’s supply chains by restricting enemy governments from having high-level access to our ports,” Steel emphasized while elaborating on the potential security risks.

Background on China’s Global Shipping Influence

The urgency behind Steel’s bill is also influenced by the expansive control China exerts over global shipping logistics. According to a report by the Brookings Institution, the Chinese logistics platform Logink collects and manages global shipping and cargo movement data

Logink partners with over 20 ports globally, thereby increasing China’s potential access to critical shipping data. “US lawmakers and experts in the field are raising alarms about China’s dominance in accessing and managing global shipping logistics and data, describing such control as a security risk and ‘a recipe for disaster,'” SCMP reported.

Representation and Broader Context

Steel represents Southern California, which is home to two of the largest U.S. ports: the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach. Lawmakers, including Senator Tom Cotton and Rep. Steel, have voiced serious concerns about the potential vulnerabilities posed by Chinese conglomerates like COSCO and COFCO that have business in these ports. They sent a letter to President Biden back in 2022, highlighting these security risks.

“The CCP could exploit their control over LOGINK to identify early trends in the movement of U.S. military supplies and equipment through commercial ports while denying other countries the same data on Chinese military assets,” outlined the letter addressed to President Biden.

Besides this bill, Rep. Steel has consistently worked to counter the Chinese Communist Party’s aggression through various legislation, including the Taiwan Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act. Her personal history drives her efforts; her parents fled North Korea to escape totalitarianism, fueling her commitment to ensuring the safety and security of the United States.