Restoring America's Maritime Dominance
Directs a whole-of-government effort to rebuild the U.S. maritime and shipbuilding industries, ordering more than a dozen agencies to produce assessments, legislative proposals, and an overarching Maritime Action Plan within overlapping deadlines of 30 to 210 days.
Establishes new policy to counter the PRC's dominance in global shipbuilding — the U.S. currently builds less than one percent of the world's commercial ships — by targeting harbor-fee loopholes, proposing tariffs on Chinese-made port cranes, and creating financial incentives for domestic and allied shipbuilders.
What this order does
What it orders
The order directs a sweeping, multi-agency initiative to revitalize U.S. maritime industries and the maritime workforce. It requires the National Security Advisor (APNSA) to deliver a Maritime Action Plan (MAP) to the President within 210 days, drawing on reports and proposals from more than a dozen agencies covering: an assessment of the Maritime Industrial Base; financial incentives for commercial shipbuilding; establishment of Maritime Prosperity Zones modeled on opportunity zones; expansion of mariner training and education; modernization of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy; reforms to federal vessel procurement; an Arctic waterways strategy; an inactive reserve fleet review; and a proposed Maritime Security Trust Fund. It also directs the USTR to coordinate enforcement of actions arising from its ongoing Section 301 investigation into China's shipbuilding practices, and consider proposing tariffs on Chinese-made ship-to-shore cranes and cargo-handling equipment. It directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to close a Harbor Maintenance Fee loophole used by carriers that land cargo in Canada or Mexico and truck it into the United States.
Most directives require agencies to study, report, or propose legislation rather than imposing immediate regulatory changes. The order includes a severability clause and standard provisos that nothing in it creates judicially enforceable rights or alters existing agency authorities.
Who it affects
Federal agencies spanning defense, transportation, commerce, homeland security, labor, state, education, and treasury; U.S. shipbuilders and ship-repair facilities; commercial shipping companies operating under U.S. or foreign flags; maritime academies and their students; foreign cargo carriers that currently route goods through Canada or Mexico to avoid U.S. port fees; and allied nations' shipbuilding industries.
Why it matters
Foreign cargo carriers routing shipments through Canadian or Mexican ports to avoid the Harbor Maintenance Fee could face new fees and a 10 percent surcharge. U.S. shipyards and their workers could eventually benefit from new financial incentives and procurement reforms, while companies importing Chinese-made port cranes could face new tariffs if the USTR acts on the Section 301 investigation.
What must happen and when
How the order is supposed to work
The APNSA serves as the central coordinator: all agency reports, assessments, and legislative proposals flow to the APNSA and OMB Director, who compile them into the MAP. The OMB Director handles all legislative, regulatory, and fiscal assessments. Deadlines run in waves — 30 and 45 days for deregulation reviews and shipbuilding assessments, 90 days for most sectoral reports, 180 days for broader industrial-base and fleet proposals, and 210 days for the final MAP submission. Several legislative proposals are tied to the President's Budget cycle rather than a fixed calendar date, meaning their timing depends on that process. No automatic enforcement mechanism is specified if agencies miss deadlines.
Actions and deadlines
- Conduct deregulatory review of maritime regulations and submit findings to OMB and APNSA
- Hire USMMA facilities staff and reprogram funds for urgent deferred maintenance projects
- Conduct shipbuilding review for government use and submit report with recommendations to the President
- Engage allies and partners on trade policy alignment and deliver engagement plan and progress report to the President
- Recommend incentives for allied-nation shipbuilders to invest in U.S. shipbuilding capacity
- Deliver a plan identifying maritime prosperity zones for domestic and allied investment
- Deliver report inventorying federal programs supporting the U.S. maritime industry
- Deliver report with recommendations to address maritime workforce and mariner training challenges
- Develop and submit proposal for improved federal vessel acquisition strategies
- Begin review of DoD and DHS vessel procurement processes and deliver efficiency proposal to the President
- Develop and deliver Arctic waterways security strategy to APNSA
- Review and issue guidance on funding, retention, and mobilization of the inactive reserve fleet
- Finalize long-term master facilities plan for USMMA modernization and submit for concurrence
- Submit 5-year capital improvement plan for USMMA to APNSA and OMB Director
- Provide assessment of options to invest in and expand the Maritime Industrial Base
- Submit legislative proposal to grow the U.S.-flagged commercial vessel fleet serving international trade
- Submit Maritime Action Plan to the President
- Develop legislative proposal to establish a Maritime Security Trust Fund
- Submit legislative proposal establishing a Shipbuilding Financial Incentives Program
- Deliver legislative proposal on national maritime scholarships and mariner training expansion