The White House has released its Americas Maritime Action Plan, according to a report from The Maritime Executive. The 34-page document, released on February 13, follows an April 2025 Executive Order and aims to reverse a perceived lack of strategic focus on the maritime sector.

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The plan notes a decline in American-flag shipping and a shortage of shipbuilding and maintenance capabilities. It states the U.S. has 66 shipyards total, with only eight active shipbuilding yards and 11 yards with build positions. Another 22 yards are dedicated to repairs with drydocking, and 25 are topside repair yards.

The document asserts that the U.S. lacks the capacity to scale up domestic shipbuilding to meet national priorities, creating security and supply chain issues. It calls a self-sustaining domestic shipbuilding sector critical for national and economic security.

The plan’s sections focus on rebuilding shipbuilding capacity, expanding the workforce through education and training, and protecting the Maritime Industrial Base. It states that delivering on its vision requires more than investment, calling for modernized government procurement and streamlined regulation to accelerate shipbuilding and reduce costs.

Proposed measures include incentive programs for shipyards, tax breaks, loan programs, and the establishment of Maritime Prosperity Zones to catalyze investment. The plan also calls for a U.S. Strategic Commercial Fleet and building international partnerships to reduce dependency on unreliable suppliers.

It includes commitments to modernize the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and support state maritime schools. New workforce initiatives involve recruitment and retention incentives and a Military-to-Mariner program. The plan advocates for a U.S. maritime preference requirement and expanded cargo preference rules. As a temporary measure, it proposes bringing foreign-built vessels under the U.S. flag to increase trade capacity.

To fund these programs, the plan proposes a universal fee on foreign-built vessels entering U.S. ports. It suggests a fee of one cent per ton could raise 66 billion dollars over ten years, while a 25-cent fee could yield nearly 1.5 trillion dollars. These funds would go to a new Maritime Security Trust Fund for consistent investment in shipbuilding, fleet expansion, and the workforce. The Office of Management and Budget, with the Department of Transportation, is directed to deliver a legislative proposal for this funding mechanism.

The plan also calls for creating a Land Port Maintenance Tax, set at 0.125 percent of the value of merchandise entered via land ports, to ensure land ports contribute equitably to infrastructure costs. It asserts this would be equivalent to the existing Harbor Maintenance Tax and that shippers are currently incentivized to use neighboring ports and truck goods into the U.S. Up to 10 percent of these funds would go to a Land Port Maintenance Trust Fund.

The plan is receiving endorsements from industry groups. The Marine Engineers Beneficial Association stated it believes the plan provides meaningful, long-term solutions to reverse the decline of the U.S. flag fleet and mariner pool. The association said the policies are essential for growing the fleet, creating jobs, and ensuring the U.S. can compete against nations using unfair practices and subsidies.

The plan builds on congressional efforts from late 2024, specifically the SHIPS for America Act led by Senator Mark Kelly. That act also mapped a comprehensive strategy and called for a White House office to direct maritime policy. Sponsors in the House and Senate said they would reintroduce the act as the 119th Congress begins and move forward with committee hearings.

There is reportedly no disagreement on the need to rebuild U.S. shipbuilding and merchant marine industries, with the challenge identified as securing the necessary funding and long-term commitments.

Source: IndexBox Market Intelligence Platform