On April 9, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order (EO), titled “Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance.” Broadly, the EO aims to increase America’s shipbuilding capability by incentivizing domestic vessel-building, investing in the maritime workforce, and identifying certain maritime opportunities for America’s shipbuilding industry. These items will be addressed through the Maritime Action Plan (the MAP), which will be developed by the National Security Advisor and various cabinet officials. Because the National Security Advisor and cabinet officials have until November 9, 2025 to submit the MAP to the President, we likely won’t see any of the changes this EO sets out to address just yet.
Key Action Items in the MAP
The EO’s purpose is to “revitalize and rebuild domestic maritime industries and workforce to promote national security and economic prosperity.” To further this purpose, the MAP must incorporate certain action items:
- Assess options for both public and private investment in American shipbuilding
- Make recommendations and collaborate with allies regarding China’s involvement in the shipbuilding industry
- Enforce the collection of the Harbor Maintenance Fee, including from ships coming in from Canada and Mexico
- Develop “Maritime Prosperity Zones” to incentivize investment in certain waterfront property
- Invest in the Merchant Marine Academy and other training opportunities for mariners
- Increase the number of U.S. commercial vessels in international waters
- Secure the arctic waterways
Again, the MAP will take some time to develop and implement through regulation, if any. If the MAP is carried out in the next year or so, we should see increased incentives for American shipbuilding and utilization of the maritime industry as a whole. It’ll be worth monitoring the details of the MAP when it comes out later this year for a better idea of what’s to come. Miller Nash will continue to provide updates on developments in this matter, and our attorneys remain available to assist with interpretations of this and other Executive Orders.
