The Trump administration unveiled a comprehensive Maritime Action Plan on Feb. 13 meant to resurrect the U.S. shipbuilding sector, which has dwindled since World War II and has now fallen far behind those of China and other global competitors.
The document of more than 30 pages details a strategy that includes the establishment of maritime prosperity zones to attract investment, reforms to workforce training and education programs, growth of the U.S.-built and U.S.-flagged commercial fleet, creation of a dedicated Maritime Security Trust Fund financed partly by port fees on Chinese-made ships, and a decrease in regulatory burdens.
