In the waning months of 2025, the United States stands at a maritime crossroads. Following decades of neglect, the federal government is now aggressively pivoting to restore domestic capacity in shipbuilding, logistics, and port infrastructure but the scale of the challenge reveals a sobering reality: the US has allowed its maritime industry to erode to the point of strategic vulnerability.
In April, President Trump signed a sweeping executive order that mandates the creation of a Maritime Action Plan, a national blueprint to rebuild the country’s maritime industrial base.
The directive, cheered by both sides of the aisle, is part of a broader America First economic doctrine and seeks not only to restore US shipbuilding but to disrupt what the administration calls China’s non-market domination of global shipping supply chains.
Consider this: The United States builds just 0.2% of the world’s ships, while China commands a staggering 74%.
The disparity is even more alarming in other sectors:
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