If The United States Doesn’t Build More Ships, China Will Rule The Waves

  Helen Raleigh    Visit on Twitter @HRaleighspeaks

To ensure economic and national security, America needs more ships.

During his recent address to Congress, President Trump announced the creation of a new Office of Shipbuilding within the White House, aiming to revive America’s once-thriving shipbuilding industry. This renewed focus on shipbuilding is not just timely; it is essential. The United States has fallen behind China in both commercial and military shipbuilding, putting our economic and national security at risk.

History shows no nation can achieve world-power status without also being a naval power. The United States has a storied legacy of maritime dominance. At the conclusion of World War II, the United States commanded the world’s most powerful navy and dominated maritime commerce, with its commercial marine fleet representing an astounding 50 percent of global cargo shipping capacity. More than one million Americans worked at American shipyards.

Unfortunately, decades of globalization and changing priorities from successive administrations have led to the alarming decline of the U.S. commercial shipping industry, which now accounts “for less than 1% of the world fleet.” While the U.S. Navy remains a formidable force, its fleet size is on a concerning trajectory of “managed decline.” Under the previous Biden administration, the U.S. Navy’s 2023 budget revealed intentions to acquire only nine new ships while decommissioning 24, resulting in a projected fleet of just 280 ships by 2027.

Meanwhile, for more than two decades, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has provided substantial subsidies to its shipping and shipbuilding industries, establishing a strong presence in the global commercial shipping market and commanding a fleet of more than 5,500 oceangoing merchant vessels actively engaged in international trade. If a military conflict were to arise between the United States and China, and China’s merchant vessels ceased operations, it could lead to significant disruptions in the flow of essential goods and materials, resulting in catastrophic consequences for the global economy. Moreover, China can quickly convert this extensive commercial fleet into a powerful naval force, enhancing its military strength.