President Donald Trump signed an executive order to restore American shipbuilding and revitalize the maritime industries.
“Up until now, government procurement processes and over-regulation have hindered private industry’s ability to build vessels on time and on budget—this Order reverses that trend,” a White House fact sheet says, adding, “The U.S. government will work with our allies and partners to align trade policies to disrupt China’s non-market practices in the international supply chain and logistics sectors.”
The order further establishes a Maritime Security Trust Fund to “provide consistent funding for maritime programs in addition to a shipbuilding financial incentives program to boost private investment in U.S. shipbuilding.”
The revitalization of the shipbuilding industry comes as China is rapidly advancing its naval capabilities and is planning to construct the world’s largest aircraft carrier, potentially surpassing the U.S. Navy’s USS Gerald R. Ford. Satellite imagery from Maxar Technologies reveals significant construction activity at China’s Dalian Shipyard, indicating preparations for a new carrier equipped with four catapults, similar to the Ford-class supercarriers.
China has also built a land-based prototype nuclear reactor for a warship. The United States and France are the only other countries with nuclear-powered carriers.
“We don’t build ships in America anymore,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said. “In 2022, we built five ships. China built 1,800 ships in 2022. If you want to be a global power, you have to build ships and you have to have sailors to sail those ships.”
“If there is a crisis in the world that involves our military, we need ships to support the military,” Duffy explained.
