Trump Calls US Shipbuilding Decline ‘Ridiculous,’ Plans Foreign Ship Purchases

US President Donald Trump has said he might approach Congress to approve buying large ships from other countries while the US works on restoring its own shipbuilding capacity.

Speaking during a Cabinet meeting, Trump said the United States may look to allied nations to supply high-end ships temporarily.

He said that although the US plans to bring back its shipbuilding strength, foreign purchases might be necessary in the short term to fill the gap.

According to Trump, the US no longer builds ships at the scale it once did, and this decline is “ridiculous.”

He said rebuilding the shipbuilding industry will be a major focus soon, but until then, America could rely on countries it trusts, those known for producing quality ships, to help meet its needs.

Trump also mentioned that any such purchases would require Congressional approval but expressed confidence that it wouldn’t be a problem.

The issue came up after National Security Advisor Mike Waltz pointed out that Chinese shipyards received around 1,700 shipbuilding orders last year, while US shipyards only managed five.

Waltz reportedly said that under Trump’s leadership, like in many other sectors, the US would aim to make shipbuilding a strong and competitive industry again.

Trump also shared details of his recent phone call with South Korea’s acting President Han Duck-soo, where they discussed the shipbuilding industry among other matters.

Hanwha Ocean Co, a leading South Korean shipbuilder, has already acquired the Navy shipyard in Philadelphia and secured Korea’s first ever contract to overhaul a US Navy ship.

Meanwhile, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries another South Korean giant, has presented a proposal to the US government.

According to a March report from South Korea’s Chosun news outlet, the company is prepared to build up to five ships per year for the US, with room to expand further if needed.

Woo-man Jeong, managing director of HD Hyundai’s Specialised Ship Business Unit, told the publication that the company has more than 250 engineers capable of designing and building Aegis-class ships with performance equal to those used by the US Navy.

He stated that HD Hyundai is the only South Korean shipbuilder that directly designs and constructs Aegis ships and is currently building five out of six such vessels for the Korean Navy.

One of these ships, the ROKS Jeongjo the Great, was commissioned last year and is now the largest ship in the South Korean Navy. It includes the latest version of the Korean Vertical Launch System, among other advanced features.

Meanwhile, Japan is also seen as a potential partner. The country builds a variety of warships, including destroyers that share design similarities with the US Navy’s Arleigh Burke class.

While Trump has not specified whether the proposed ship purchases would be commercial vessels, naval warships, or both, experts believe the focus may be on military ships given the ongoing challenges faced by the US Navy.

The idea of buying foreign-built ships has been discussed before as a possible solution to delays and capacity issues in American shipyards.

Trump’s executive order to revamp the American shipbuilding sector shows that he is serious about the issue.

Industry watchers say buying ships from trusted allies like South Korea and Japan could be a practical short term step, especially as China continues to dominate global shipbuilding, with a capacity said to be 200 times larger than that of the US.

References: Reuters, TWZ

Source: Maritime Shipping News