Page 17: of Marine News Magazine (April 2024)

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OpEd

Shipbuilding can industrial base. building, repairing, repowering and local communities at a time in which

Second, the Congress must pri- maintaining ships, not to mention our maritime strength is needed more oritize stable and predictable budgets the massive supply chain that sup- than ever during geopolitical unrest.

rather than short-term funding stop ports those yards. This capacity has Without a strong, forward-think- gaps that allow for the shipyard in- not been outsourced like many other ing comprehensive American mari- dustry to plan for investments in their critical manufacturing sectors, like time strategy, advancing predictable infrastructure and workforce. Incon- semiconductor manufacturing, large- budgeting and other market-building sistent funding signals create uncer- ly thanks to the Jones Act. policies and strengthening the Jones tainty in future operation plans, and Disturbingly, special interest groups Act, other nations like China will to train, advance and retain the most and foreign-funded think tanks are ac- continue to invest in their commer- valuable asset in our industrial base— tively attacking the U.S. maritime in- cial and military maritime capacity our skilled workforce—we need that dustry and the Jones Act. Their short- and will continue to overtake us as the certainty, like any business sector. sighted, greed-driven policies seek to world’s maritime leader.

On the commercial side, consistent outsource this critical manufacturing A ? ourishing shipyard industrial policy signals for new maritime mar- sector for cheap foreign labor and base is not just an investment in our kets, such as the Biden Administra- shoddily-built Chinese ships. This national and economic security fu- tion’s push for offshore wind, are es- would be disastrous for our maritime ture but a safeguard for generations sential for the industrial base to plan security and would decimate jobs in to come. and construct for these exciting new opportunities. As with any indus- try or supply chain that will support a burgeoning innovation for a new market, funding is critical, but with- out long-term policy and cross-sector operationalization plans, investment in these markets becomes signi? cantly more dif? cult.

Third, the fundamental maritime national security law—the Jones

Act—must remain the foundation of the U.S. maritime strategy. Per the

Maritime Administration (MARAD), the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base creates a workforce of nearly 400,000, generates $28.1 billion of labor in- come and contributes $42.4 billion in GDP. These are good family-waged jobs in all 50 states and communities across the nation. In fact, in many communities in regions like the Gulf states, the shipyard industrial base is the leading economic engine, employ- ing generations of families.

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