President Trump’s Plan to Restore America’s Maritime Dominance

Author: Ashley Ebener
Publish Date: 10.15.2025

President Trump signed an Executive Order on April 9, 2025, to strengthen the United States’ commercial shipbuilding capacity and maritime workforce.[1] The President’s plan will include securing funding, making U.S. vessels commercially competitive in international commerce, rebuilding the Maritime Industrial Base, and expanding and strengthening the maritime workforce.[2] In June of 2025, Sang Yi was announced by the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) as Acting Maritime Administrator.[3] USDOT reported that he would play a critical role in advancing the goals of the President’s Executive Order.[4]

The Order requires the planning and coordination of the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and many other executive departments and agencies.[5] Within 210 days of the date of the Order, which will be around the beginning of November 2025, these departments are to submit a Maritime Action plan (MAP) to the President.[6]

The MAP will review the current maritime industries processes, regulations on the domestic commercial maritime fleet and port access, inactive reserve fleet, vessel procurement processes, and Federal programs that could be used to sustain and grow the maritime industry.[7] It will propose recommendations that address workforce challenges in the maritime sector, how to increase shipbuilding, how to improve the vessel procurement processes, and ways that the agencies may be able to deregulate.[8] Options for expansion of the Maritime Industrial Base, and investment in the maritime industry and waterfront communities will be provided in the plan.[9] A strategy to secure arctic waterways and enable prosperity in the face of evolving arctic security challenges will be included in the plan.[10] MAP will include a list of and recommendations for all available incentives to help shipbuilders in domiciled in allied nations partner to undertake capital investment in the U.S.[11] Legislative proposals to establish a funding source for MAP programs and a financial incentives program for private investment will be provided in the plan.[12] MAP will also include a legislative proposal that is designed to ensure the U.S. has enough commercial vessels that can be called upon in times of crisis.[13]

Ultimately, the MAP will set out a plan to achieve the goal of revitalizing and rebuilding domestic maritime industries and their workforce,  all working towards strengthening and restoring America’s maritime dominance.

[1] Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance, The White House, Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance – The White House (Apr 9, 2025).
[2] Id. § 3.
[3] U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy Appoints Sang H. Yi as Acting Maritime Administrator, MARAD (June 12, 2025), https://www.maritime.dot.gov/newsroom/us-transportation-secretary-sean-p-duffy-appoints-sang-h-yi-acting-maritime-administrator.
[4] Id.
[5] Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance.
[6] Id.
[7] Id.
[8] Id.
[9] Id.
[10] Id.
[11] Id.
[12] Id.
[13] Id.