The Donald Trump administration unveiled an action plan to rebuild America's shipbuilding industry, pledging to continue 'historic' cooperation with South Korea and Japan. The plan proposes a 'Bridge Strategy' allowing initial ships to be built in allied foreign shipyards. This comes amid efforts to counter China's overwhelming shipbuilding capacity.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 (Yonhap/Korea Times) -- U.S. President Donald Trump's administration unveiled "America's Maritime Action Plan" on Friday to rebuild the nation's shipbuilding industry, pledging to continue "historic" cooperation with South Korea and Japan while proposing a strategy to build initial ships in allied foreign shipyards.
The White House released the plan as Seoul and Washington push to strengthen ties under South Korea's "Make American Shipbuilding Great Again (MASGA)" proposal, part of a bilateral trade and investment agreement.
In April, Trump signed an executive order titled "Restoring America's Maritime Dominance," directing the creation of the plan. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought, along with other Cabinet members, developed it.
The administration aims to bolster U.S. shipbuilding amid intensifying Sino-U.S. strategic competition, where China holds over 230 times the U.S. shipbuilding capacity. The document states: "The United States will consult with China on shipbuilding capacity issues and continue its historic cooperation with the Republic of Korea and Japan on revitalizing U.S. shipbuilding."
The plan introduces a "Bridge Strategy" for multi-ship contracts, where the first vessels are constructed in a foreign shipbuilder's home yard, accompanied by investments in a U.S. shipyard—either purchased or partnered—to eventually shift production onshore. This approach acknowledges the U.S.'s limited domestic capacity while accelerating vessel acquisition.
The document notes that Trump has secured at least $150 billion in dedicated investment for the industry, with the Commerce Department mobilizing these funds. For the MASGA initiative, South Korea has allocated $150 billion from a $350 billion pledge under the trade deal, in exchange for the U.S. reducing "reciprocal" tariffs on the Asian nation from 25 percent to 15 percent.
The plan emphasizes industrial cooperation with allies. It says: "Close coordination with allies and partners will align trade policies to enhance investment in the U.S. maritime sector." Further: "Diplomatic engagement and coalition building ensure that U.S. trade enforcement measures are reinforced by allied action, while targeted incentives encourage shipbuilders from partner nations to invest directly in America's MIB." MIB stands for maritime industrial base.
