A new bill empowers Trump to blacklist foreign ports linked to expropriated US property, aiming to protect American interests abroad.
A new enforcement bill gives President Trump the authority to designate foreign ports and terminals as prohibited if they involve expropriated US property, reports American Shipper.
The measure is a streamlined version of the Defending American Property Abroad Act, first introduced in July 2025 by Texas Republican Congressman August Pfluger and Alabama Congresswoman Terri Sewell. The original bill targeted foreign governments violating US trade agreements, particularly Mexico's seizure of a deepwater port owned by Vulcan Materials Co.
Senator Bill Hagerty stated that Mexico's actions under former president Manuel Lopez Obrador and current president Claudia Sheinbaum amounted to theft against an American company. He argued that no nation should be allowed to bully a US firm without consequences.
The revised bill removes trade restrictions and instead focuses on ports and vessels. It allows the president to prohibit any Western Hemisphere port or terminal if property owned by a US citizen or corporation has been expropriated. Vessels transiting such facilities could face a total ban from US waters.
The legislation aims to protect supply chains for bulk industrial materials by identifying port infrastructure such as conveyor systems and silos as safeguarded assets. It stipulates that bans must be lifted if conditions change, property is returned, compensation is paid, or disputes are resolved. Once lifted, vessels would regain access to US ports.
