---
title: "Steve Daines to Visit Hong Kong, First Sitting U.S. Senator There Since 2019"
date: 2026-03-20
author: ""
url: https://panamadaily.news/2026/03/20/steve-daines-hong-kong-visit-2026/
categories:
  - "Politics"
  - "World"
tags:
  - "Hong Kong"
  - "Steve Daines"
  - "Trump ally"
  - "US politics"
  - "US senators"
---

# Steve Daines to Visit Hong Kong, First Sitting U.S. Senator There Since 2019

## What Happened

Republican Senator Steve Daines, a close ally of former U.S. President Donald Trump, is expected to travel to Hong Kong at the end of this month, according to sources cited by the South China Morning Post. The trip would mark the first visit to the city by a sitting U.S. senator since the Covid-19 pandemic.

The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to comment publicly, said Daines would meet American business leaders in Hong Kong on March 30. No official confirmation from the senator’s office or the U.S. Senate was cited in the report.

## Background

Steve Daines represents Montana in the U.S. Senate and is identified in reporting as a close ally of former president Donald Trump. The South China Morning Post report notes the timing as significant because sitting U.S. senators have not visited Hong Kong since the onset of the pandemic in 2019.

Hong Kong remains an important international business and financial centre in Asia. Visits by senior U.S. lawmakers to the city have been closely watched for their diplomatic and commercial implications.

## What This Means

While details of the meetings were limited and the trip had not been officially confirmed publicly at the time of reporting, the visit would signal renewed high-level legislative engagement with Hong Kong and the wider region after several years of limited travel by U.S. elected officials.

Observers will likely watch any meetings or statements for indications of U.S. congressional views on trade, business ties and regional policy. Such developments can influence investor sentiment and commercial relationships across global markets — factors that matter to international trade and financial hubs, including Panama, which relies on global flows of trade and finance.

Further details, including any official itinerary or statements, were not provided in the initial report and may be announced closer to the proposed travel dates.