Maritime policy has become a top priority of the Trump administration’s economic and national security agendas. In April 2025, a sweeping executive order launched the “Maritime Action Plan,” focused on revitalizing U.S. shipbuilding, expanding the U.S.-flagged merchant fleet, and developing the maritime workforce. New measures include the creation of Maritime Prosperity Zones and a federal Maritime Security Trust Fund.

This aggressive push also serves as a geopolitical maneuver to counter China’s growing dominance in global shipping. The U.S. is currently investigating seven critical maritime chokepoints, including the Panama Canal, where China and other nations exert influence that may pose national security risks. As part of its broader security strategy, the U.S. has also moved to banning Chinese tech such as the logistics data platform LOGINK from ports and is seeking to enhance Arctic shipping lane security operations with the future deployment of new icebreakers.

Meanwhile, bipartisan legislation such as the SHIPS for America Act remains under consideration and current strategic cooperation in shipbuilding has begun with South Korea to strengthen the nation’s shipbuilding base. While challenges remain from labor shortages to global competition, Washington CORE’s new article outlines how these layered policies aim to reposition the U.S. as a maritime power.