The US administration has published the White House Maritime Action Plan (MAP), a comprehensive strategy for rebuilding the nation’s shipbuilding and merchant marine industries. The document is considered the country’s most ambitious maritime policy since the Merchant Marine Act of 1936.
📊 According to official data, the US currently builds less than 1% of the world’s commercial vessels, and the majority of foreign trade is carried by foreign-flagged ships. The plan aims to restore the industrial base—shipyards, supply chains, workforce, and design capacity.
📌 The strategy includes several systemic tools:
— the introduction of fees on foreign vessels calling at US ports, with the creation of a separate Maritime Security Trust Fund to finance the industry;
— the formation of Maritime Prosperity Zones—special economic zones for investment in shipbuilding and maritime infrastructure;
— expansion of the Capital Construction Fund’s tax instruments for shipyard modernization;
— the so-called Bridge Strategy, under which the first hulls of ships are built by allies abroad, with production subsequently transferred to the United States.
📈 The plan includes reforming seafarer training, revising training requirements, and simplifying several regulatory procedures. Particular attention is paid to updating the Ready Reserve Fleet, modernizing the Merchant Marine Academy, and expanding the Strategic Commercial Fleet to support foreign trade.
🌍 MAP views the maritime industry not as a transportation policy, but as an element of national security. The document envisions significant government investment and interagency coordination, but its implementation is directly dependent on congressional decisions and budget funding.
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