Since first introducing the SHIPS for America Act in December, increasing American shipbuilding has become a top priority for the Trump administration and Congress.   

The SHIPS for America Act includes a series of steps to increase U.S. shipbuilding. 

• Coordinate U.S. maritime policy by establishing the position of a maritime security adviser within the White House, who would lead an interagency maritime security board tasked with making whole-of-government strategic decisions for how to implement a national maritime strategy. The bill also establishes a Maritime Security Trust Fund that would reinvest duties and fees paid by the maritime industry into maritime security programs and infrastructure supporting maritime commerce.    

• Establish a national goal of expanding the U.S.-flag international fleet by 250 ships in 10 years by creating the Strategic Commercial Fleet Program, which would facilitate the development of a fleet of commercially operated, U.S.-flagged, American crewed and domestically built merchant vessels that can operate competitively in international commerce.  

• Enhance the competitiveness of U.S.-flagged vessels in international commerce by establishing a Rulemaking Committee on Commercial Maritime Regulations and Standards to cut through the U.S. Coast Guard’s bureaucracy and red tape that limits the international competitiveness of U.S.-flagged vessels, modify duties to make cargo on U.S.-flagged vessels more competitive, require that government-funded cargo move aboard U.S.-flagged vessels, and require a portion of commercial goods imported from China to move aboard U.S.-flagged vessels starting in 2030.    

• Expand the U.S. shipyard industrial base, for both military and commercial oceangoing vessels, by establishing a 25% investment tax credit for shipyard investments, transform the Title XI Federal Ship Financing Program into a revolving fund and establish a Shipbuilding Financial Incentives program to support innovative approaches to domestic ship building and ship repair.    

• Accelerate U.S. leadership in next-generation ship design, manufacturing processes and ship energy systems by establishing the U.S. Center for Maritime Innovation and support regional hubs for maritime innovation across the country by establishing a Maritime Prosperity Zone program.    

• Make historic investments in maritime workforce by supporting a Maritime Workforce Promotion and Recruitment Campaign, allowing mariners to retain their credentials through a newly established Merchant Marine Career Retention Program, invest in infrastructure needs for the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and support state maritime academies and centers for excellence for domestic maritime workforce training and education. The bill also makes changes to streamline and modernize the U.S. Coast Guard’s merchant mariner redentialing system.    

The legislation will be introduced in two pieces in the Senate, the SHIPS for America Act and the Building SHIPS in America Act.