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America’s shipbuilding industry is making a massive comeback.


If California waits, California loses.

In July 2025, Congress appropriated $29 billion to strengthen shipbuilding in the United States. Soon after, Japan committed $550 billion in U.S. investments—including significant shipbuilding initiatives— while South Korea pledged an additional $150 billion dedicated specifically to shipbuilding.

With the focus for shipbuilding concentrated on the West Coast, California is uniquely positioned to capture these multi‑billion‑dollar investments and generate tens of thousands of high‑wage jobs—provided California acts with urgency to create a clear pathway for groundbreaking.

‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Will have Maritime, Shipbuilding Impacts

David Murray, The Waterways Journal

“The bill directs about $29 billion toward revitalizing the U.S. shipbuilding and maritime industrial base. Of that amount, roughly $5 billion supports naval shipbuilding initiatives. Other provisions support workforce training, additive manufacturing, advanced techniques, artificial intelligence-driven processes and supplier development.”

Image from the Export Practitioner

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‘Make America Shipbuilding Great Again’ package key to reaching trade deal

Reuters, Seoul

“South Korean Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol said on Thursday that a shipbuilding partnership package dubbed “Make America Shipbuilding Great Again” was key to the agreement on tariffs between the U.S. and South Korea.

The partnership worth about $150 billion will be led by South Korean shipbuilders to rebuild the U.S. shipbuilding industry, Koo said.“

Image from HD Hyundai Heavy Industries / Reuters

Read the Reuters Briefing

Japan Commits $550 Billion to U.S. Industries Including Shipbuilding

Mike Schuler, gCaptain

“The announcement aligns with statements made by U.S. Navy Secretary John Phelan during his visit to Japan in April, where he highlighted the importance of building shipping capacity outside China.

“The goal should be: how do we build up capacity outside of China? It means building up capacity in Japan, building up capacity in Korea, and then how do we also start building some key capacity in the United States in strategically important areas,” Phelan said.”

Image from U.S. Navy

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It’s time to build ships again.

China’s $100B+ shipbuilding empire dominates the U.S.’s.

Learn more with WSJ below.

CSIS: China has emerged as the undisputed leader of the global shipbuilding industry.

The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), the navy of the Chinese Communist Party, is already the world’s largest navy by ship count, and the gap between it and the U.S. Navy is expected to grow in the coming years.

An even deeper challenge lurks beneath the surface. China has built its naval industrial base atop its sprawling commercial shipbuilding sector that dwarfs that of the United States, giving it a staggering advantage in shipyard capacity.

China’s dual-use shipbuilding industry has far surpassed US shipbuilding capacity (CSIS)

  • “An even deeper challenge lurks beneath the surface. China has built its naval industrial base atop its sprawling commercial shipbuilding sector that dwarfs that of the United States, giving it a staggering advantage in shipyard capacity.”
  • “Shipyards across the United States built just five large ocean-going merchant vessels in 2024, combining to a volume of 76,000 gross tons (GT).”
  • “In the same year, just one Chinese shipbuilder, the state-owned China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), delivered over 250 ships, adding up to a staggering 14 million GT.”

Full report and analysis

CSIS: Rebuilding America’s Maritime Strength with Senator Kelly and Congressman Waltz

Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Interview with Senator Kelly and Congressman Waltz

“Last year, 2023, China received over 1,500 new orders for new ships. The United States received five. The largest shipyard in China could fit every shipyard in the United States inside it and is producing more ships and then, you know, by – comparably the largest shipyard in South Korea, Hyundai, is producing 40 to 50 ships a year. Again, the United States produced five…

They literally could turn off our entire economy by essentially choking off that shipping fleet and, conversely, turn theirs into warships or into levers of geopolitical influence. It’s just completely unacceptable. And we have to stop admiring the problem and stop complaining about the problem. And I think, as Senator Kelly and I are trying to do, start chipping away at it and digging us out of this hole.”

Read the full interview

I support California Forever

I believe in Solano County and California that build again. Let’s build new industries, affordable homes, and clean energy for this generation and generations to come.

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