I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 9235 
To direct the Secretary of Defense to conduct a study and submit to Congress 
a report on strategic ports, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 30, 2024 
Mr. WITTMAN (for himself, Mr. GIMENEZ, and Mr. AUCHINCLOSS) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Af-
fairs, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period 
to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
concerned 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Defense to conduct a study and 
submit to Congress a report on strategic ports, and 
for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Strategic Ports Re-
porting Act of 2024’’. 
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SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE STUDY AND REPORT ON 
STRATEGIC PORTS. 
(a) STUDY REQUIRED.—The Secretary of Defense 
shall conduct a study of— 
(1) strategic ports; 
(2) the reasons such ports are of interest to the 
United States; 
(3) the activities and plans of the Government 
of the People’s Republic of China to expand its con-
trol over strategic ports outside of the People’s Re-
public of China; 
(4) the public and private actors, such as China 
Ocean Shipping Company, that are executing and 
supporting the activities and plans of the Govern-
ment of the People’s Republic of China to expand its 
control over strategic ports outside of the People’s 
Republic of China; 
(5) the activities and plans of the Government 
of the People’s Republic of China to expand its con-
trol over maritime logistics by promoting products, 
such as LOGINK, and setting industry standards 
outside the People’s Republic of China; 
(6) how the control by the Government of the 
People’s Republic of China over strategic ports out-
side of the People’s Republic of China could harm 
the national security or economic interests of the 
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United States and allies and partners of the United 
States; and 
(7) measures the United States Government 
could take to ensure open access and security for 
strategic ports. 
(b) CONDUCT OF STUDY.—The Secretary of Defense 
may enter into an arrangement with a federally funded 
research and development center under which the center 
shall conduct the study required under subsection (a). 
(c) REPORT.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than one year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of Defense shall submit to the appropriate 
congressional committees a report on the findings of 
the study conducted under subsection (a). 
(2) ELEMENTS.—The report required by para-
graph (1) shall include— 
(A) a detailed list of all known strategic 
ports operated, controlled, or owned, directly or 
indirectly, by the People’s Republic of China 
and an assessment of the national security and 
economic interests relevant to each such port; 
(B) a detailed list of all known strategic 
ports operated, controlled, or owned, directly or 
indirectly, by the United States and an assess-
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ment of the national security and economic in-
terests relevant to each such port; 
(C) an assessment of vulnerabilities of— 
(i) ports operated, controlled, or 
owned, directly or indirectly, by the United 
States; and 
(ii) strategic ports; 
(D) an analysis of the activities and ac-
tions of the Government of the People’s Repub-
lic of China to gain control or ownership over 
strategic ports, including promoting products, 
such as LOGINK, and setting industry stand-
ards; 
(E) an assessment of how the Government 
of the People’s Republic of China plans to ex-
pand its control over strategic ports outside of 
the People’s Republic of China; 
(F) a suggested strategy, developed in con-
sultation with the heads of the relevant United 
States 
Government 
offices, 
that 
suggests 
courses of action to secure trusted investment 
and ownership of strategic ports and maritime 
infrastructure, to protect such ports and infra-
structure from the control of the Government of 
the People’s Republic of China, and to ensure 
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open access and security for such ports, that in-
cludes— 
(i) a list of relevant existing authori-
ties that can be used to carry out the 
strategy; 
(ii) a list of any additional authorities 
necessary to carry out the strategy; 
(iii) an assessment of products owned 
by the Government of the People’s Repub-
lic of China or an entity affiliated with 
such government that are used in connec-
tion with strategic ports or maritime infra-
structure; 
(iv) an assessment of costs to secure 
trusted investment and ownership of stra-
tegic ports and replace products owned by 
the Government of the People’s Republic of 
China or an entity affiliated with such gov-
ernment that are used in connection with 
such ports; and 
(v) a list of funding sources to secure 
trusted investment and ownership of stra-
tegic ports, which shall include— 
(I) an identification of private 
funding sources; and 
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(II) an identification of public 
funding sources, including loans, loan 
guarantees, and tax incentives; and 
(G) a suggested strategy for Federal agen-
cies to maintain an up-to-date list of strategic 
ports. 
(3) FORM OF REPORT.—The report required by 
paragraph (1) shall be submitted in unclassified 
form, but may include a classified annex. 
(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means— 
(A) the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation, the Committee on Armed 
Services, and the Select Committee on Intel-
ligence of the Senate; and 
(B) the Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure, the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce, the Committee on Armed Services, 
and the Permanent Select Committee on Intel-
ligence of the House of Representatives. 
(2) The term ‘‘relevant United States Govern-
ment offices’’ means— 
(A) the Unified Combatant Commands; 
(B) the Office of the Secretary of Defense; 
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(C) the United States International Devel-
opment Finance Corporation; 
(D) the Export-Import Bank of the United 
States; 
(E) the Office of the Director of National 
Intelligence; and 
(F) the Maritime Administration of the 
Department of Transportation. 
(3) The term ‘‘strategic port’’ means an inter-
national port or waterway that the heads of the rel-
evant United States Government offices determine is 
critical to the national security or economic pros-
perity of the United States. 
Æ 
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