The White House just released America’s Maritime Action Plan

The plan says the U.S. now builds less than 1% of new commercial ships globally
Recommended policies:
• Establish a new grant program to fund projects that increase the capacity and efficiency of U.S. shipyards
• Establish a universal fee on foreign built vessels from any nation entering U.S. ports
• Allow shipyards to establish tax deferred accounts to reinvest earnings into infrastructure improvements, new equipment, or debt repayment
• Provide shipyards with access to long term financing for large scale capital projects
• Require an increasing percentage, up from 50%, of civilian U.S. government agency cargo to move on U.S. flagged vessels
• Implement a modest tax, 0.125% of the value of the merchandise, to ensure land ports contribute equitably to the costs of maintaining and improving critical trade infrastructure
• Utilize multiyear and multivessel procurement strategies with stable funding, so a single contract can cover multiple years
• Adopt and integrate emerging technologies to streamline shipbuilding, including AI, additive manufacturing, robotics and automation, Industry 4.0 analytics, modern nondestructive testing, and cold spray repair, to boost productivity while reducing reliance on scarce trades
• Establish a Strategic Commercial Fleet. Vessels in the SCF would receive financial support for both construction and operations