Senate Panel Advances Bipartisan Push to Rebuild U.S. Shipbuilding as Maritime Plan Nears

Overview

• The Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Coast Guard, Maritime, and Fisheries held a bipartisan hearing led by Sen. Dan Sullivan with Ranking Member Maria Cantwell to examine how to modernize and accelerate U.S. commercial and Navy shipbuilding.
• Lawmakers and witnesses cited a steep decline in capacity, noting the United States builds about 0.2% of global commercial tonnage and had only five ocean‑going ships under construction in 2022 compared with China’s 1,794.
• Policy options discussed included protecting the Jones Act, expanding and streamlining Title XI loan guarantees, modernizing shipyard infrastructure, enforcing cargo‑preference rules, and advancing legislation such as the SHIPS for America Act.
• The hearing referenced President Trump’s April 9 executive order on Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance, a Maritime Action Plan expected next month, and recently authorized investments for the Navy and Coast Guard through budget reconciliation.
• Witness testimony highlighted workforce needs and small‑yard potential, with Seattle’s Snow & Company growing to over 100 employees, winning Navy and DOE contracts, and using an $817,150 MARAD Small Shipyard grant to add hires, while steel and aluminum tariffs were cited as cost headwinds.