Revitalizing U.S. Shipbuilding and Maritime Capacity (Photography)

Ships in the Bay photo

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The development of shipbuilding capacity is extremely important. As a nation, the United States has struggled to build enough ships to meet both commercial and strategic needs. While labor costs are often cited as the primary reason, the issue is far more complex. It also involves infrastructure, workforce development, supply chains, industrial planning, and the ability to secure the materials and technical expertise necessary for large-scale ship production.

A major challenge is ensuring that we have the human capital needed to sustain a modern shipbuilding industry. Skilled welders, engineers, naval architects, electricians, and logistics specialists are all essential to maintaining competitive shipyards. At the same time, there are regions with strong geographic advantages for shipbuilding and repair that are often overlooked or underutilized for economic, political, or strategic reasons (i.e. Escanaba has an underdeveloped port and ship repair and possible small ship building foundations so that concept could be explored.).

Addressing these problems requires rethinking how we approach industrial development. That includes examining stagnant assumptions, evaluating long-term infrastructure investments, and developing a clearer strategy around the types of ships the country wants to build. It also means considering how the United States can compete more effectively in the global ship market, where demand for both new vessels and ship repair services remains significant.

The article below is especially interesting because it provides a historical timeline of shipbuilding development and decline, helping explain how the industry evolved and why some nations became dominant players while others fell behind. It offers useful insight into the economic, technological, and strategic factors that continue to shape shipbuilding today.

Why the U.S. Struggles to Build Ships Competitively

• The article argues that the United States has struggled to remain competitive in commercial shipbuilding for more than a century, especially compared to countries like China, South Korea, and Japan.
• Historically, the U.S. excelled during the era of wooden sailing ships, but it lagged behind when the industry transitioned to steel and steam-powered vessels in the late 19th century.
• American shipbuilding costs remain significantly higher than those of foreign competitors due to expensive labor, slower production methods, regulatory burdens, and inconsistent industrial policy.
• Wartime periods such as World War I and World War II temporarily boosted U.S. shipbuilding capacity through massive government mobilization, standardized production, and prefabrication techniques, but the country failed to sustain that momentum commercially after the wars ended.
• Protectionist policies like the Jones Act helped preserve some domestic shipbuilding capability, but they also insulated the industry from international competition and reduced incentives for innovation and efficiency.
• The article highlights how Japan and later South Korea adopted and improved American wartime production techniques, eventually surpassing the U.S. in efficiency and global market dominance.
• Modern U.S. shipyards primarily survive through naval contracts and specialized offshore work rather than competitive commercial ship production.
• The piece concludes that the U.S. still produces important maritime innovations, but it has struggled to convert technological leadership into a globally competitive shipbuilding industry.

Potter, B. (2024, September 5). Why can’t the U.S. build ships? In N. Smith (Ed.), Noahpinion. https://www.noahpinion.blog/p/why-cant-the-us-build-ships