Trump Signs Order to Restore America's Maritime Dominance: 'We Used to Build a Ship a Day' (April 9, 2025)

President Donald Trump signed an order to bring American shipbuilding back after decades of decline. “We used to build a ship a day, and now we don’t do a ship a year, practically. And we have the capacity to do it,” Trump said in the Oval Office on April 9, 2025, according to the transcript published by the American Presidency Project [1].

The order says “the United States constructs less than one percent of commercial ships globally, while the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is responsible for producing approximately half.” [2]

The video above shows Trump signing the maritime order on April 9, 2025. Quotes are from the American Presidency Project [1][2][3][4][5].

”Decades of Government Neglect”

“The commercial shipbuilding capacity and maritime workforce of the United States has been weakened by decades of Government neglect, leading to the decline of a once strong industrial base while simultaneously empowering our adversaries and eroding United States national security,” the order says [2].

“Both our allies and our strategic competitors produce ships for a fraction of the cost needed in the United States,” it says [2].

“It is the policy of the United States to revitalize and rebuild domestic maritime industries and workforce to promote national security and economic prosperity,” the order says [2].

”Fantastic for Michigan”

“As you’ve consistently identified, restoring our maritime dominance as a nation is very important, from shipbuilding to having a merchant marine that’s capable of supporting American military efforts,” White House Staff Secretary Will Scharf told Trump [1].

Trump turned to Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “And that could be a good one for Michigan too,” he said. “Fantastic for Michigan,” Whitmer replied [1].

Trump said that was “because we’re going to be spending a lot of money on shipbuilding. We’re way, way, way behind.” [1]

“Okay. Shipbuilding, that’s a good one,” Trump said after he signed it [1].

What the Order Does

“The Order directs the creation of a Maritime Action Plan (MAP) to revitalize U.S. maritime industries,” the White House said [3].

“Up until now, government procurement processes and over-regulation have hindered private industry’s ability to build vessels on time and on budget—this Order reverses that trend,” the White House said [3].

“The Order directs the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to make recommendations regarding China’s anticompetitive actions within the shipbuilding industry,” the fact sheet says [3].

It also “directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to enforce collection of the Harbor Maintenance Fee and other charges on foreign cargo entering the United States to prevent circumvention via Canada or Mexico.” [3]

“The Order establishes a Maritime Security Trust Fund to provide consistent funding for maritime programs in addition to a shipbuilding financial incentives program to boost private investment in U.S. shipbuilding,” the White House said [3].

It “develops Maritime Prosperity Zones to incentivize investment in waterfront communities and is to be modeled on President Trump’s highly successful Opportunity Zone concept.” [3]

“It expands Mariner training and education through an investment in the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and a plan for expanding training opportunities,” the White House said [3].

“The MAP will develop a strategy to ensure security and leadership of arctic waterways to address the growing presence of foreign nations in the region,” the fact sheet says [3].

Fixing How the Pentagon Buys

Trump also signed an order on defense buying. The process “has been criticized by many folks on both sides of the aisle as being too slow—too slow to adapt to new and changing technologies,” Scharf said [1].

“They get the highest price and not even good-looking equipment. And we’re changing it,” Trump said [1].

A third order reworks foreign military sales to “provide key military equipment to our key allies in a reliable, effective way,” Scharf said [1].

By the Numbers

Less than 1 percent: the U.S. share of commercial ships built worldwide, per the order [2].
About half: China’s share, per the order [2].
210 days: the deadline for the Maritime Action Plan, per the order [2].
$150 billion: Korean investment in shipbuilding, per the November 2025 fact sheet [4].
80+ years: since America opened a new Naval shipyard, per the White House [5].

What Happened Next

Korea came to build. A joint fact sheet on Trump’s meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, released Nov. 13, 2025, said the trade and investment deal “includes $150 billion of Korean investment in the shipbuilding sector approved by the United States.” [4]

A fifth Naval shipyard. On Aug. 13, 2026, Trump signed a memorandum that “directs the Secretary of War to establish a fifth Naval shipyard, the first in over 80 years, to increase the Nation’s submarine and aircraft carrier repair capacity,” the White House said [5].

It also “directs the Secretary of War to replace the Advanced Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch Systems and the Advanced Weapons Elevators with traditional steam and hydraulic systems during the construction of CVN-81.” [5]

“A lack of capacity and competition has resulted in large backlogs of orders across six major Navy shipbuilding programs and a commercial shipbuilding sector that is not globally competitive,” the White House said [5].

“As foreign shipbuilders make substantial and durable investments into America’s shipyards and train an all-American workforce for the jobs they create, they will be temporarily permitted to build up to two ships in their parent shipyards,” the White House said, with more ships built in “revitalized American shipyards.” [5]

“President Trump is decisively ushering in a new Maritime Golden Age,” the White House said [5].

For Trump’s showerhead order, signed the same day, see HYGO News’ page on April 9, 2025. For Trump’s orders to rebuild American nuclear power, see the page on May 23, 2025.