Bill > HR7084

This bill, titled the Defending American Property Abroad Act of 2026, amends existing law to specify which vessels can enter U.S. navigable waters or transfer cargo in U.S. ports. It allows vessels to enter under certain emergency conditions or if authorized by the owner to transit specific facilities. Crucially, it permits vessels to enter if they have previously transited a port, harbor, or marine terminal located in a Western Hemisphere country with a free trade agreement with the U.S., provided that this port was only accessible through land owned or controlled by a U.S. person, and that the President has designated this port because the foreign government has nationalized or expropriated property owned by a U.S. person, or taken similar actions, as long as the dispute is not currently in arbitration. The President can remove such a designation if the expropriation conditions are no longer met, ownership is restored, adequate compensation is provided, or the dispute is otherwise resolved.