06/03/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/03/2025 10:18
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) announced that the core pieces of his 2024 "Shipbuilding Innovation Act" were included in section 501 and 521 of the SHIPS for America Act, the larger bipartisan and bicameral legislative package on shipbuilding that was introduced late last month. Section 501 creates a program for the United States Maritime Administration to invest in U.S shipyards and the construction of U.S. built ships, authorizing a yearly appropriation of $250M through 2035. Section 521 creates a maritime innovation program to advance and accelerate research and development for new technologies and manufacturing processes for the maritime industry.
"I'm a proud Navy guy who thinks we ought to make more stuff in America," said Congressman Deluzio. "I believe we can build up our industrial might for the 21st century, and that means our government needs to do a better job at supporting and funding research and development of new technologies that will give us the competitive edge over countries like China. The shipbuilding Executive Order is a good first step, but we need to do more. I am glad the core components of my Shipbuilding Innovation Actare included in the SHIPS Act."
Over the last 20 years, China's aggressive shipbuilding subsidies and unfair trade practices-along with American inaction-have made it impossible for the United States to keep up. This has resulted in a massive difference in industrial capacity: China is now capable of producing over 1,000 ocean-going vessels a year, while the United States currently produces fewer than ten. Maritime power is critical to our prosperity and to global peace, which requires staying on the cutting edge of this sector-in both the defense and commercial maritime markets.
Congressman Deluzio testified before the U.S Trade Representative in March, where he expressed support of the Section 301 petition initiated by USW, IAM, and other unions seeking to hold China accountable for unlawful and anticompetitive domination of the Maritime, Logistics, and Shipbuilding sectors.
President Donald Trump issued an executive order on April 9, 2025, titled "Restoring America's Maritime Dominance."Its goal is to lay down a foundation for a government-wide effort to revitalize America's shipbuilding and maritime industries. This executive order aims to promote national security and economic prosperity through significant federal investment in the maritime industrial base and the recruitment, training, and retention of the maritime workforce
The bipartisan and bicameral SHIPS Actlegislative package introduced last month takes a comprehensive approach to growing America's shipbuilding industry and Merchant Marines. Along with including Congressman Deluzio's Shipbuilding Innovation Act, it establishes national oversight and consistent funding for U.S. maritime policy and will make U.S.-flagged vessels commercially competitive in international commerce, rebuild the U.S. shipyard industrial base, and expand and strengthen mariner and shipyard worker recruitment, training, and retention.
Congressman Deluzio is the co-author of the "Make Stuff Here" Agenda, which focuses on supercharging America's domestic manufacturing, including ending lousy trade deals and boosting domestic manufacturing.
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