Elaine Chao, the daughter of shipping magnate James Chao, is being lined up by president-elect Donald Trump to head up the transportation department in January.
Elaine Chao was the labour secretary in the George W Bush administration. She is married to Republican senate majority leader Mitch McConnell.
Chao will be tasked with a big transport infrastructure build up, not least across America’s ports.
Chao’s father, James, is the founder of Foremost Group.
In other shipping-related Trump appointees, Wilbur Ross, one of the most aggressive private equity investors in shipping, has been picked as commerce secretary.
