The United States has released a detailed Maritime Action Plan (MAP) outlining a broad effort to rebuild domestic shipbuilding capacity, expand the U.S.-flag fleet, and strengthen the maritime workforce. The plan, published on February 13, 2026, fulfills requirements under the April 2025 executive order on "Restoring America's Maritime Dominance" — and marks the most comprehensive federal maritime strategy in decades.
The MAP identifies long‑standing structural weaknesses across the maritime sector, including limited shipyard capacity, a shrinking U.S.-flag fleet, and an eroded labor pipeline. The White House describes the document as a national strategy to "rebuild U.S. shipbuilding capacity and capabilities," while also addressing vulnerabilities tied to global competition.
Industry observers note that the U.S. currently builds less than 1% of the world's commercial ships and has only a handful of yards capable of constructing large oceangoing vessels. The plan frames this as both an economic and national security risk.
Key features of MAP
The MAP calls for increased domestic shipbuilding capacity and incentives to attract investment into U.S. shipyards. The White House emphasizes the need to modernize facilities and expand output to meet commercial and strategic demand.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the administration intends to "revitalize our once-great shipyards with hundreds of billions of dollars in new investments… We want them built in America."
A central proposal is a universal infrastructure or security fee on foreign‑built commercial vessels calling at U.S. ports.
The plan outlines reforms to mariner training, credentialing, and recruitment. It aims to reverse workforce shortages that industry groups say have constrained both commercial and government maritime operations.
The MAP also includes measures to strengthen the maritime industrial base through coordinated federal action. The White House describes the document as using a "whole of government" approach to address both domestic needs and international competitive pressures.
The Maritime Action Plan does not include a single unified timeline, but its structure and accompanying policy documents outline a phased rollout in which near‑term actions in 2026–2027 focus on developing the proposed fee on foreign‑built commercial vessels, launching shipyard investment incentives, and expanding maritime workforce programs; medium‑term steps from 2028–2030 emphasize modernizing major U.S. shipyards and beginning construction of new U.S.-built commercial vessels; and long‑term efforts from 2030 onward center on continued fleet expansion, the integration of advanced technologies, and broader strengthening of the maritime industrial base.
ICS warns against port fees
Industry groups have described the plan as long‑awaited. Marine sector commentary characterizes it as "far‑ranging and detailed," with significant implications for shipbuilders, vessel owners, and maritime suppliers.
The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) — one of the world's principal shipping organisations, representing around 80% of the world's merchant tonnage — welcomed the plan's focus on strengthening U.S. shipbuilding but reiterated its opposition to new port fees, arguing that a diversified global shipbuilding base benefits international trade and supply‑chain security.
"The ICS acknowledges the U.S. Government's Maritime Action Plan and its stated position to revitalise and expand domestic shipbuilding and maritime capacity in the United States. ICS supports the objective of increasing U.S. shipbuilding capacity and strengthening the United States shipbuilding industry through policies that encourage investment, as additional commercial tonnage enhances the efficiency, resilience, and competitiveness of the global maritime sector," it said in a statement, noting that a strong and diversified global shipbuilding base benefits international trade and supply chain security.
"However, ICS remains opposed to any proposed port fees, including the suggested universal infrastructure or security fee on foreign-built commercial vessels calling at U.S. ports."
The ICS raised its concerns over the proposed weight‑based fee on imported vessel tonnage center on warnings that such charges would add significant costs to maritime transport and risk broader trade distortions.
"The imposition of fees based on the weight of imported tonnage, at levels ranging from 1 cent per kilogram to 25 cents per kilogram, would represent a substantial additional cost burden on maritime transport," ICS said. "Such measures risk distorting trade, increasing costs for U.S. consumers and businesses, disrupting the smooth flow of global commerce, and could encourage retaliatory measures."
ICS says the proposed measures raise concerns because global shipping depends on policies that are coordinated and predictable, and the organization argues that additional barriers could create unintended effects for supply chains and economic stability.
It also says it will continue engaging with the U.S. government and international counterparts as the policy process moves forward, with the aim of ensuring that efforts to strengthen maritime capacity do not undermine the efficiency of global trade.
Earlier U.S. port fee proposals were introduced in April 2025, when the United States Trade Representative issued an April 17 notice outlining new charges on certain Chinese‑built or Chinese‑linked vessels, and the fees formally took effect on October 14, 2025.
The plan was halted less than a month later: following the November 2025 U.S.–China trade summit, both countries agreed to suspend their respective port fees beginning November 10, 2025, for a one‑year period, effectively pausing implementation after industry concerns and ongoing policy revisions.
