Strategic Shores: Strengthening Overseas Port Infrastructure to Safeguard U.S. Economic and Security Interests

Global seaport infrastructure has become an important arena of great power competition, particularly as China seeks to expand its foothold across Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Ports are essential to U.S. trade, military sealift, and force mobilization. Yet the United States has a limited commercial presence in overseas ports, creating a strategic vulnerability for U.S. economic and national security interests.

A new report from the CSIS Economic Development and Prosperity Program (formerly the Project on Prosperity and Development), Strategic Shores: Strengthening Overseas Port Infrastructure to Safeguard U.S. Economic and Security Interests, assesses U.S. strengths and vulnerabilities across the global maritime port sector. Drawing on case studies of Panama, Peru, Sri Lanka, and Greece, the report examines the evolving landscape of global port infrastructure and its implications for U.S. competitiveness and security, offering policy recommendations to strengthen U.S. engagement and partnerships overseas.

This project is made possible through generous support from the Smith Richardson Foundation.