Op-Ed: How the SHIPS for America Act can restore U.S. maritime leadership

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.)

As part of our Career Connect Washington Maritime Sector ongoing work, we actively track, document, and inform about emerging technologies and trends. Flanked by two oceans, the United States has always been a maritime nation. Our dominance over the oceans was a key factor in establishing the U.S. as the most powerful nation on Earth. My family has lived this. Both of my grandfathers were seafarers during World War II. One sailed on a Liberty ship in the Atlantic and the other one with the Navy in the Pacific. Their example was an inspiration to me that led me to attend the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and join the Navy.

But America’s maritime leadership has been dangerously declining over that time, allowing China not only to catch up, but get ahead. Today, there are 80 U.S.-flagged vessels in international commerce; China has 5,500.

The United States no longer builds enough oceangoing merchant ships. And it’s far too expensive to operate a ship under a U.S. flag. This forces American businesses to rely on Chinese shipping companies, raising costs for them and their products, and giving China the ability to shut our economy if they chose to do so. It also leaves us without a merchant fleet to call upon should we find ourselves in conflict. Go to this link to read the full article by By Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), published by the Marine Log https://www.marinelog.com/news/op-ed-how-the-ships-for-america-act-can-restore-u-s-maritime-leadership/