President gets unilateral power to block foreign vessels from U.S. ports
H.R. 7084 — Defending American Property Abroad Act of 2026 · Filed by August Pfluger (R-TX) · 7 cosponsors · Introduced Jan 15, 2026 · Passed chamber
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What it does
This bill amends maritime law to allow the President to block vessels that have used ports in Western Hemisphere countries with U.S. free trade agreements from entering U.S. ports, but only if those countries have expropriated or nationalized property owned by U.S. persons. The President can designate affected ports and remove the designation once the property is restored or compensation is paid. The bill creates a tool for the executive branch to retaliate against foreign expropriation by restricting vessel access to U.S. waters.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core function is to grant the President unilateral power to designate foreign ports and block vessels using them from U.S. entry, creating a maritime sanctions tool without requiring congressional approval for each use. This is fundamentally about expanding executive authority over trade and maritime commerce.
What the text implies
- The bill grants the President sole discretion to determine what constitutes 'expropriation' or 'nationalization' without defining these terms, creating potential for political weaponization of maritime access.
- Vessels blocked from U.S. ports may be rerouted through other countries, increasing shipping costs and supply-chain delays that ultimately raise consumer prices for imported goods.
The full analysis lists 5 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
U.S. shipping companies (reduced competition from foreign vessels); U.S. port operators (potential increase in domestic vessel traffic); U.S. property owners with expropriated assets abroad (enforcement mechanism)